By: Tam Nguyen, staff writer
There has been a growing number of protests against SOGI 123 (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity) over the past few years. More recently, BC Conservative politician John Rustad promised to end the program, naming it “a failure” and “a distraction.” This opposition brings to light just how deep-rooted queerphobia is in our society, as well as how misinformed people are about the program.
SOGI 123 is a resource that helps schools and teachers address the topics of sexuality and gender identity respectfully and inclusively. It is neither a stand-alone curriculum nor a subject like math or English, but a supplemental tool for students to learn about inclusivity. SOGI 123 is “at the discretion of individual school districts,” and all 60 school districts in BC have incorporated it into their curriculum.
One popular argument is that SOGI 123 promotes pornography and sexual content to students. This is an outright lie. The program teaches students to create an inclusive environment for everyone. This can be as simple as talking about heteronormativity — the assumption that everyone is heterosexual — and discussing how some people use the word partner instead of gender-specific terms like boyfriend or girlfriend. Sex education and reproduction is a separate curriculum and is not part of SOGI 123, despite what critics may want you to think.
No proof has been found that suggests SOGI 123 “teaches kids to be queer” or to have gender-affirming surgeries, as people have claimed. The main principles of the program are anti-bullying and awareness — essentially just acknowledging that queer people exist. Avoiding discussions about gender and sexuality will not make us disappear. I grew up watching a bunch of cis, straight people kissing in movies and real life, and I still turned out to be a raging dyke. People are who they are.
SOGI 123 gives the students the language and a safe environment to discuss and explore themselves. When I first realized I liked girls, I didn’t even have the words to describe it. I pushed it to the back of my mind and didn’t think about it. It happened again with my gender identity, as I couldn’t put it into words the way I didn’t relate to a binary gender. The opposition of SOGI 123, from not just individuals but also the BC Conservatives, stems from queerphobia and political division. It’s 2024 — we as a society need to develop more understanding and critical thinking. Queer and gender-diverse people have always existed, and not talking about us won’t make us go away.
