The party challenging B.C.’s current government is promising changes to the way sexuality and diversity is taught in schools — an issue that’s created division in the streets and between party leaders — while educators maintain the rift is not present in classrooms.
For years, there’s been conflict over SOGI 123 teaching materials meant to make classrooms more inclusive and safer. They’ve become a problematic divider that educators say is based on misinformation, but one that a politician — with a chance to become B.C.’s next premier — is hoping helps bring him to power.
“SOGI in itself has become too divisive. It’s become very problematic. Many parents want to see it go,” said John Rustad the weekend the campaign kicked off.
“So we need to remove that and make sure parents have their rights and engage with their kids in schools.”
SOGI 123, or Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, was established in schools in 2016 by the then-ruling B.C. Liberals, as part of anti-bullying policies. Rustad was a cabinet minister in that government.
SOGI 123 is not a curriculum but provides guides and resources to help teachers address discrimination and bullying, create supportive and inclusive environments for 2SLGBTQ+ students and acknowledge varying genders and sexual orientations.
However, some parents maintain SOGI encourages children to change genders. Others say it goes against religious values.
“SOGI is an infringement upon parents’ rights,” said Amrit Birring, an anti-SOGI protest organizer and Freedom Party of B.C. candidate during a small anti-SOGI rally in Surrey in September, a year after thousands attended rallies across Canada over the issue, which resulted in confrontations and arrests in some places.
SOGI 123 was developed by the B.C. Ministry of Education, the B.C. Teachers’ Federation (BCTF), the University of British Columbia’s faculty of education, the organization Out in Schools, nine school districts throughout B.C., and local, national and international 2SLGBTQ+ community organizations.
In 2022, the then-ruling B.C. NDP announced SOGI 123 was available in all 60 of the province’s school districts and endorsed by at least 13 prominent associations, confederations or nations involved in education.
‘Very misunderstood’
Educators maintain detractors simply misunderstand what SOGI is.
“Absolutely a very misunderstood part of education,” said Clint Johnston, president of the BCTF.
“[SOGI resources] have absolutely made schools, classrooms a safer place. That’s feedback that comes from our members. That’s feedback that comes from students when they are asked.”
Still, Rustad, who got his first election win in Prince George’s school district as a trustee in the early 2000s, has aligned himself with those against SOGI.
He used his first question in the provincial legislature last October as the new Conservative leader to call out the B.C. NDP over the materials.
“Parents are concerned about the sexualization of their children in this NDP government’s education system,” he said. “Will the minister admit that SOGI 123 has been divisive, an assault on parents’ rights and a distraction to student education?”
On John Rustad’s first day in the legislature as B.C. Conservative leader, he opened with a question about SOGI123, a classroom resource for teaching gender and sexual diversity. Premier David Eby fired back, accusing Rustad of using vulnerable kids as a wedge issue.
The question drew fire from B.C. NDP Leader David Eby, who criticized Rustad for leveraging children’s safety and education to bring what he called a “culture war” to B.C.
“It is outrageous that he would stand here and do this. He sees political advantage in picking on kids and families and teachers and schools who are just trying to do their best for kids who are at risk of suicide,” said Eby
“Shame on him. Choose another question.”
In its time in office since 2017, the B.C. NDP has supported SOGI 123 to ensure no student should be excluded or bullied because of their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.
Eby says Rustad is picking the wrong issue for an election fight.
The Conservative leader has steadfastly argued that B.C. classrooms are biased politically and insists changes are needed for schools to be places of learning.
“Kids must be taught how to think — not what to think,” he has said repeatedly in party materials.
The party is running Heather Maahs as its candidate for the riding of Chilliwack North. As a local school board trustee, she’s has been outspoken over how sexuality is taught in classrooms and library books such as, All Boys Aren’t Blue, a coming-of-age story about a queer person of colour.
The party did not respond to requests from CBC News to speak with Maahs for this story.
Rustad has also taken aim at books in libraries and told media that, if elected, he would strike a committee to review all school textbooks and literature to ensure they are appropriate.
John Rustad takes questions on sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI), which he has criticized in the past.
In February 2023, Chilliwack RCMP investigated a complaint about a book in a school library alleged to contain child pornography and sent out a news release saying that was not the case.
“While the material may be deemed inappropriate or concerning to some people, it does not constitute Child Pornography,” it said.
Political watchers say Rustad and the Conservatives are making SOGI 123 and library books an election issue to show how the party is different from the NDP to hopefully gain votes.
“I’m not surprised that they are making it an election issue,” said Simon Fraser University political scientist Sanjay Jeram.
“If we think about the kind of issues they can point to and create easy divides … lines in the sand that they can differentiate, separate themselves from the NDP on issues that can especially speak to centrist voters.”
In the meantime, educators want voters who feel unease over SOGI 123 or books in libraries to speak openly with teachers in schools about it, not with placards, marching and chanting on streets.
“It’s frustrating … at times to see the adults in communities having these kind of discussions and debates,” said Johnston. “Whereas in schools, what we see is students understanding each other better.”