Media Contacts

For non-medical information relating to COVID-19:

Visit: www.gov.bc.ca/COVID19
Email: servicebc@gov.bc.ca
Or call: 1 888 COVID-19

Ministry of Education

Government Communications and Public Engagement
250 356-5963

Joint Information Centre

Media Relations
236 478-1336

Backgrounders

Facts about B.C.'s LGBTQ2S+ students and supports for them

According to a 2018 McCreary Centre Society Study of B.C. adolescents:

  • 11% of male and 22% of female B.C. high school students identify as gay, lesbian, bi or not exclusively heterosexual.
  • 0.5% of B.C. high school students identify as transgender, and 2% identify as non-binary (neither male or female).
  • LGBTQ2S+ youth were seven times more likely than heterosexual youth to attempt suicide (28% compared to 4%).
  • 54% of LGBTQ2S+ students experienced bullying, violence and homophobic slurs.

Supports:

  • ARC Foundation is a society founded on June 3, 2008, to act as a charitable foundation with a mission is to build awareness, respect and capacity through education.
  • Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) 123 is a resource that provides schools and teachers with ready-to-use, grade-level appropriate materials that align with B.C.͛s new curriculum.
  • The ministry, ARC Foundation and 10 provincial K-12 education partners are included in the Provincial SOGI K-12 Collaborative.
  • All of B.C.’s 60 school districts have SOGI-inclusive codes of conduct, and independent schools have SOGI-inclusive harassment and bullying prevention policies in place.