Sexual orientation

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On this page

• For students
• For adults
• For school staff

What is sexual orientation?

Sexual Orientation is a term used to describe an individual’s pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attraction. A person’s sexual orientation might stay the same over their whole life, or it may change.  

There are different kinds of sexual orientation. For example, a person may be: 

• Heterosexual —describes a person who is attracted only or almost only to the "other" gender.
• Homosexual (gay, lesbian, queer)—describes a person attracted only or almost only to those of the same gender. 
• Bisexual—describes a person attracted to both men and women, though not necessarily equal or at the same time. 
• Pansexual (or omnisexual)—describes a person attracted to those of any gender. 
• Asexual—describes someone not sexually attracted to any gender. This is different from deciding not to have sex with anyone (abstinence or celibacy). 

Human rights

All people have the right to be free from discrimination based on sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. This right is protected by Article 2 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, as well as in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Canadian Human Rights Acts, and the B.C. Human Rights Code.

The B.C. Human Rights Code protects B.C. students from discrimination based on Indigenous identity, race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, religion, marital status, family status, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or age. 

Every school in B.C. should be a place where every student feels welcome, safe and included.  

Students

Adults

Adults instill values at home. Schools provide learning opportunities to foster safe, inclusive, and caring learning environments for all students. While parents and caregivers are the first teachers in their children’s lives, they are also active participants in the learning that happens in schools. Learning about diversity in sexual orientation in an age-appropriate manner supports students to understand and respect differences.

For example, in a first-grade classroom, an age-appropriate way to talk about sexual orientation is to read the book A Family is a Family is a Family. Students learn that every family is different: one family might have kids who live with their grandmother, and another might have step-siblings from past relationships, and yet another might have two dads. Reading this book helps kids understand the world around them in an age-appropriate way. 

Throughout the K-12 curriculum and school activities, students and teachers explore the topic of human rights and: 

• What it means to value diversity and respect differences
• How to respond to discrimination

You can reach out to your child’s teacher, principal, or school district if you have questions about sexual orientation learning in the classroom.

School staff

School Codes of Conduct and Policies

Including sexual orientation and gender diversity in school codes of conduct and anti-bullying policies improves the school climate for 2SLGBTQIA+ students by reducing discrimination and harassment.

Teachers may include the B.C. Human Rights Code, sexual orientation, and gender identity in classroom discussions.