SOGI 1 2 3

 

What is it,

and how will it affect the upcoming election?

ou may have seen an infographic

doing the rounds on social media
these past few weeks titled “Anti-
Sogi (sic) Trustees”, showing a list
of municipalities and corresponding
candidates for school trustee positions.
Maybe you heard about the protest
that took place at the BC Legislature in
September with people campaigning
both for and against including SOGI
learning materials in BC classrooms.
This of course begs the obvious
question: What is SOGI, and why has it
become such a hot-button issue for the
upcoming election?

SOGI, shorthand for Sexual
Orientation and Gender Identity, is a
policy put forward by the Ministry of

‘implement’ SOGI 123.”

This is a common misconception,
echoed by those who protest the policy.
Many have accused the Ministry of
“indoctrinating” children. One protestor
at the BC Legislature, Courtney
Strom, told the CBC: “| believe it is
a social engineering program of our
government that is not based on truth
or science.”

However, the purpose of the policy
is simply to provide a framework
that schools can follow to foster
understanding.

“Any teacher in BC has the
professional autonomy to choose the
materials they will use to meet the
curricular objectives," said Dixon.

their own gender identity, and that this
identity needs to be respected,” she
said.

According to the CBC, 19 percent
of current BC secondary school
students identify as something other
than strictly heterosexual—in practical
terms, this translates to about one
in five teens. Given that there is
still stigma surrounding LGBTQ+
youth, the numbers could be higher
when considering students who are
uncomfortable with or still questioning
their gender and sexuality. Despite
these increasingly high numbers
of LGBTQ+ youth, however, non-
heterosexual teens still experience
mental health troubles—especially

“[SOGI] highlights that everyone defines their own gender identity,
and that this identity needs to be respected.”

—Laura Dixon, school trustee and chairperson of the Delta Board of Education

Education in a drive to create a more
inclusive learning environment for
LGBTQ+ students. It was developed
after the BC Government passed a bill
in 2016 to include “gender identity and
expression” as protected rights under
the Human Rights Code.

“SOGI 123 is a learning resource
teachers may refer to as they might
any online material,” said Laura Dixon,
school trustee and chairperson of the
Delta Board of Education, in an email
interview with the Other Press. “Often
it is mis-stated as ‘the curriculum’ which
is not the case and [trustees] do not

“SOGI 123 was created to provide a
potential resource for educators to
aid in the design of inclusive policies,
learning environments, and lesson
plans.”

Dixon provided an outline of a
Grade Four Physical Education lesson
covering some basics, such as the
difference between biological sex and
gender identity and the way gender
is socially constructed and influenced
by media. The lesson also provides
students with tools to identify and
respond to discrimination.

“It highlights that everyone defines

depression and suicide ideation—at
higher rates than their heterosexual
counterparts. According to a 2011
report on LGBTQ+ youth in Ontario,
Every class in every school: The first
national climate survey on homophobia,
biphobia, and transphobia in Canadian
schools, “Studies have suggested

that there is a link between bullying
and suicide, and that there is a
disproportionately high rate of suicide
attempts and suicidal thinking among
LGBT students.” With this being the
case, it would surely make sense to

try to bridge gaps in understanding