BC United leader maintains schools should be transparent with parents about what’s taught in class

BC United Leader Kevin Falcon is standing by his position that parents should be fully informed on sexual orientation and gender identity education in the classroom.

Falcon says parents need to know what’s happening in the classroom, regardless of what’s being taught, be it details on SOGI modules or the timing of when that education is delivered.

“I’ve got two young daughters, they’re all at school, and, as every other parent, we want to know and be aware of what’s going on in the classroom,” he said Thursday.

“People recognize we have to protect vulnerable children and we will, that’s why you will never see me allow children, vulnerable kids, especially, to be used as a punching bag in politics. Not going to happen. But I can tell you, I’m not going to also reject the parents that have legitimate concerns, if they don’t feel like they’ve got a line of sight of what’s going on in their own classrooms.”

Related articles:

• What exactly is SOGI 123?

• How transphobic, anti-gender diversity rhetoric affects 2SLGBTQIA+ kids

The opposition leader’s comments came a day after protesters speaking out against sexual orientation and gender identity education took to the streets across Canada, including in Vancouver. Many of those demonstrations were met by counter-protests, with supporters of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, allies, and SOGI 123 supporters pushing back against claims that SOGI-like resources are harming kids.

On Wednesday, the BC NDP pressed Falcon to “denounce the homophobic and transphobic protests,” saying when he was asked about the demonstrations Tuesday, he noted some parental concerns were “legitimate.”

However, in a statement posted Wednesday morning, he said he was “deeply concerned for members of the LGBTQ community here in British Columbia who feel targeted and attacked today.”

“And parents, whether we like them or not, and whether we think they’re always right or not, they are the parents of their kids. And, fundamentally, parents have the right to know what’s happening with their children,” Falcon said Thursday.

According to a political expert, given BC United’s centre-right coalition, Falcon has found himself in a tough spot.

“Some voters get skittish around those issues, and it’s a minority of the population, and Mr. Falcon seems to think that he needs some of them to win but is also trying to still maintain a foothold with that mainstream opinion,” UBC political scientist Stewart Prest explained.

“This issue (around gender identity) makes it as clear than just about any other issue, other than, perhaps, climate — these are the issues where that divide is just so stark. And Mr. Falcon is going to face, I think, more uncomfortable days ahead as long as we’re talking about this issue.”

Members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and allies took to Downtown Vancouver as part of counter-protests on Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023, against anti-SOGI demonstrators. (CityNews Image)

Prest admits the stakes are high, politically.

“There’s a subset of the population that’s really skeptical about it and Mr. Falcon has to decide how much is he going to speak to those and speak the language and try to be a champion for that community at the same time he is competing with the BC NDP for the majority of the population and votes,” he told CityNews.

Meanwhile, Travers, a sociologist with Simon Fraser University, says policies like those passed in other provinces are harmful to gender-diverse and trans kids who aren’t guaranteed to have supportive or accepting families.

“I think, right now, Kevin Falcon has not come to the conclusion that taking a very clear and unequivocal anti-SOGI policy, or a pro-parents’ rights policy is going to get him into office,” they said.

“If you were to prevent the school from giving them a place to be openly queer and trans, then you’re literally forcing them to hide everywhere … we know what the long-term consequences are of having to hide one’s identity, they’re very negative for mental health.”

Wednesday’s protest came after some provinces put in policies that require young students to get parental consent before teachers can use their preferred names and pronouns. Some have argued that is a violation of children’s rights.

With files from Kier Junos