Is the province cutting SOGI funding in schools? The answer is complicated

The B.C. Conservatives say the government is 'defunding' SOGI in schools. Not true, says Education Ministry

B.C. Conservative leader Kerry Lynne Findlay declares it a victory against what she calls “radical gender ideology” and “indoctrination.”

In a statement, she says the B.C. government has discontinued funding for sexual orientation and gender identity programs in schools, also known as SOGI, following pressure from her party and concerned parents.

But B.C.’s education minister says that’s false and accused the Official Opposition of spreading misinformation to score political points. So what’s actually happening and why has SOGI become a political wedge issue?

How turfing SOGI and banning books became part of B.C.'s election

The ARC Foundation, the non-profit that created the SOGI resource model for schools says while the province has cut its funding, that doesn't mean SOGI in schools is dead.

“There's this kind of messaging that's going out in B.C. right now and confusion that SOGI 123 doesn't exist anymore,” says ARC Foundation executive director Aditi Loveridge. “That's simply not true.”

Between 2023 and 2025, ARC received $350,000 a year from the province. For the 2025/26 fiscal year, that declined to $200,000. That funding has been discontinued going forward, Loveridge says.

The Ministry of Education confirmed that.

A spokesperson said on background that ARC has not been under contract to create new SOGI resources for at least the last two fiscal years.

The ministry said school districts “have built a greater capacity to support this work at the local level with district leads and resources.”

ARC continues to receive funding from the B.C. Teachers’ Federation and CUPE. In 2025, it received a $1 million grant from the federal government to combat misinformation and promote SOGI-inclusive education.

SOGI resources were brought into schools in 2016 under the then-BC Liberal government.

It’s not a teaching curriculum, but a set of educational resources designed to prevent bullying against 2SLGBTQ+ students and help teachers create inclusive classrooms.

The education ministry says school districts have SOGI leads who can continue that work.

People have been protesting for and against it. So what exactly is SOGI?

Avi Gill, a spokesperson for the Surrey School District — B.C.’s largest school district — told CBC News “there is no change to our commitment to equity in our schools or our focus on ensuring a safe environment for our staff and students.”

Gill says if parents do come forward with concerns about SOGI 123, “we work directly with them to address those concerns.”

Education Minister Lisa Beare was not available for an interview. She says in a statement that SOGI 123 resources are "anti-bullying resources that teach kids that it’s not ok to bully other kids because of their differences … The BC Conservatives continue to spread misinformation about what these resources do.”

Beare said all resources used in B.C. classrooms must be age and developmentally appropriate.

The B.C. Conservatives did not respond to an interview request.

SOGI has become a political wedge issue

The B.C. Conservatives under former leader John Rustad campaigned in the 2024 election to remove SOGI from schools, and all B.C. Conservative candidates in this year's leadership race were united in their pledge to axe it. Findlay said during the campaign she will repeal SOGI and get "ideology out of our schools."

In 2024, the B.C. government passed a law creating 20-metre “bubble zones” that bar disruptive protests around all K to 12 schools. This was in response to a rise in anti-SOGI protests outside school board meetings.

B.C. moves to ban protests, disruptions outside schools

The Vancouver-based non-profit Out on Screen runs the Out in Schools program, which delivers SOGI-related school presentations.

Madeline Taylor, its development manager, says there’s fear about what SOGI in schools actually means, making it a divisive political wedge issue.

“Because of the misinformation that is prevalent, we have seen a cooling effect. We’ve had parents pull their kids from presentations, which is their right to do, but it’s increased. We also have had schools cancel presentations or pride events.”

City of Langford Coun. Kimberley Guiry says a commitment to SOGI education is more important than ever, in light of the Tumbler Ridge school shooting. The shooter had transitioned from male to female and there was a flood of anti-trans hate online after the shooting.

Anti-trans disinformation circulating online after Tumbler Ridge mass shooting

“It's not a good time to be pulling away from ... supporting SOGI 123 in schools,” says Guiry, who's also a parent and member of a queer family.

She’s put forward a motion before Langford council calling on the province to reinstate ARC's funding.

“The (SOGI 123) program is still going to be happening in schools, but the ARC Foundation won't be the same partner as they were before, Guiry said.

“The conversation should definitely be about how the province is showing up in this moment — in this year with the shooting at Tumbler Ridge — and saying we support the queer community. We support having safe places in schools and we're going to do so with funding.”

Katie DeRosa is the provincial affairs reporter for CBC British Columbia. She is based in Victoria. You can contact her at katie.derosa@cbc.ca.