As a parent,  grandparent and  retired biologist I am disappointed by the complete lack of common sense and scientific rigour used in promulgating this  harmful and ill conceived program. While posing as an anti-bullying curriculum  it ultimately reveals itself to be no more than another opportunity to promote leftist ideology.

 Is there anything in these procedures that I should be concerned about?

I have identified three sections I consider to be most important to parents.  They are:

 General Guidelines (as described in SD 68  Admin. Procedures #347 Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity)

“When considering aspects of this procedure, it is important to keep in mind that gender is fluid and not binary.  It is helpful to see male and female at opposite ends of the continuum of gender identity.  By seeing only two genders in decisions about procedure, there is a possibility of pressuring students to conform to gender stereotypes and the social roles assigned to females and males.  Environments could be created that compel students who are questioning to make decisions before they are ready.  NLPS (Nanaimo/Ladysmith Public Schools) has an obligation to ensure that members of the school community who are LGBTQ2 and members of diverse family structures are respected, included and safe in the school communities and related activities.”

Privacy and Confidentiality

“All persons have a right to privacy.  This includes the right to have one’s gender identity and sex assigned at birth private at school.  Disclosing this information to other students, parents, or other third parties may violate privacy laws,  such as the Freedom of Information and the Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA).  The district will ensure that all medical information relating to transgender and gender nonconforming students will be kept confidential in accordance with applicable district, municipal, provincial and federal policies and privacy laws.  School staff will not disclose information that may reveal students’ sexual orientation or gender identity unless legally required to do so, or the student/parent or guardian has authorized such disclosure through the use of the district’s release of information form.”

Washrooms, Locker & Change Rooms

“All students have a right to safe and private washroom and changing facilities.  They have the right to access washrooms, locker rooms and changing facilities that correspond to their gender identity regardless of their legal sex.  The student’s self-identification is the sole measure of the student’s gender.  Schools may maintain separate washrooms, locker rooms or changing facilities for male and female students, provided that students can access them based on their gender identity.  Where available, schools will designate facilities designed for use by one person at a time as accessible to all students, and to incorporate such single-use facilities into new construction or renovation.  Any student who is uncomfortable using a shared facility while attending an off-site school-sponsored co-ed activity will be provided with a safe and private alternative. Students will not be required to use facilities that are inconsistent with their gender identity.”

1. Why would I be concerned about my child/grandchild being taught this material?
2. This material is not what it purports to be. It is pitched as anti-bullying educational material.  If this were its sole purpose, it is vastly more extensive than necessary.  Do we need to delve into the sexual details of people to realize that we must treat all people with respect and courtesy, regardless of our own opinions and beliefs?  The majority of the materials are concerned with the elimination of gender nouns and pronouns, the celebration of the LGBTQ2 community as a unique group that needs not only to be accepted, but celebrated, perhaps by inference, as superior to the heterosexual population.  For instance in one lesson plan there is the suggestion that two dads are “more fun” than having one dad and similarly for two moms versus one mom.  There is a continual thread that teaches gender is not binary, but fluid.  In my opinion this is the greatest lie and most deceitful trickery.  Herein lies the subtle purpose of the SOGI 123 program.  The underlying message is that feelings dictate reality.
3. The material does not truly convey a neutral tone. It reflects the ideologies and beliefs of a particular minority group in our society.
4. The classroom decorations feature the rainbow colour scheme and highlights pro LGBTQ2 books.
5. It is unfair, unacceptable and unhelpful to all people to refer to those of us who are heterosexual as homophobic, unloving and judgemental. We must NOT kneel down and accept these labels.
6. The material speaks of inclusivity and acceptance as some idyllic objective. If striving to get there excludes the legitimate rights and beliefs of others, SOGI 123 is creating an atmosphere of exclusivity, the very thing it speaks against.
7. The program and materials are a cunning/sly/crafty method for making our children have doubts about the most basic issues in life. What biological sex are you?  For millennia this was not a difficult question to answer and still is not.  I personally do not appreciate the use of the phrase “the gender assigned at birth.  Gender is not assigned, but recognized by clear physical evidence.
8. SOGI 123 is not empathetic towards all school age children. It plays to the hand of the minority at the expense of the majority.  In a hyper-sexed society where our children will be affected by the influence of pornography, poor role models (see the Me Too movement), worries about jobs, housing, whether mom and dad will stay together….  to make them question their own basic sexual identity is a thing beyond ignorance.  It is cruelty.
9. While I can appreciate, only somewhat, the fears and concerns of those in the LGBTQ2 community about being alone and feeling ostracized, this material asks me to accept things I cannot. This DOES NOT disqualify me from caring about them.
10. For those who hold up this material as a shrine to be worshipped at, they will never be able to see the harm they are doing to our children and the future of our society. They have been blinded by their own conceit.
11. For such a monumental change in educational materials, there are a huge percentage of parents, educators and even school board members who do not know what SOGI 123 is.
12. Finally, I firmly believe that the teaching and instruction of SOGI 123 is pedagogical malpractice.
13. Do you have any evidences that SOGI 123 is about indoctrination of young minds, not really about anti-bullying?

Yes I do.  I have read all of the materials on the B.C. Education website, including downloading all the Lesson Plans.  The information I have researched is very largely related to the LGBTQ2 community and their gender/sexuality issues.  There is little direct information on bullying identifiers, specific practices related to bullying and remedial and prevention strategies.

1. https://youtu.be/iRfX_BkUr8Q

In this video, from 22-35 seconds, Glenn Hansman, the President of the BCTF makes this statement, “Without stand- alone policies specifically referencing lesbian, gay, trans and other members of the LGBTQ2 community, it is too easy just to gloss things over when school districts or schools retreat to simply talking about bullying.”  He himself is a gay man who is pushing this agenda and in his own words, bullying is a retreat from the real purpose of SOGI.

2. I am very concerned about the teaching of a gender line. Male and female genders are at either end with a long line in between.  Kids are then influenced by visual cues to locate themselves somewhere on the line, not at either end.  It is the lie that gender is not binary, but fluid. Below are pictures of such an event.