A new report shows that while gender-diverse youth in B.C. have made strides in getting more family and community support over the past five years, they continue to face higher rates of discrimination, harassment and bullying compared with their cisgender peers.
The report, released Thursday by the University of British Columbia and the McCreary Centre Society, analyzes data from the 2018 and 2023 BC Adolescent Health Surveys. The 2018 survey was the first to include separate questions on sex and gender, allowing researchers to profile the health and experiences of gender-diverse students in Grades 7 to 12 across B.C. public schools. The 2023 survey was completed by roughly 38,500 public school students in the same age range.
Gender diverse in the report comprises youth who are trans girls, trans boys, nonbinary and gender-questioning. Cisgender is defined as those whose sex assigned at birth match their current gender identity.
Compared with 2018, there was a slight increase in the number of students identifying as trans girls, though it was fewer than one per cent of those surveyed in 2023. The number of trans boys also saw a small rise, increasing to one per cent. Additionally, the number of nonbinary students and those questioning their gender identity grew from one to about two per cent.
Researchers Elizabeth Saewyc, director of UBC’s School of Nursing, and Annie Smith, executive director of McCreary, described the report’s findings as a mixed bag.
“Given that this was five years and there’s a pandemic that happened in the middle, and that there had been increased protests going out, specifically focusing on trans and non-binary young people, I really wasn’t sure what we would see,” Dr. Saewyc said.
In recent years, there has been a rising tide of anti-trans protests, laws and policies in several countries, including Canada. Earlier this year, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith proposed restrictions on youth accessing gender-affirming care, including legislation requiring teachers to obtain parental consent before changing a child’s name or pronouns for those under 16. Legislation is expected this fall.
Saskatchewan and New Brunswick have proposed similar rules, prompting protests and court challenges.
The B.C. report, however, highlights several improvements for gender-diverse youth over the past five years, including a decreased likelihood of being kicked out or running away from home. The percentage of trans girls who rated their health as good or excellent in 2023 also increased significantly, from 48 per cent in 2018 to 58 per cent.
There was also a significant increase in the percentage of young people across all gender groups who reported having a caring adult they could turn to in their community compared with 2018.
However, the data also revealed a troubling increase in discrimination based on gender or sex among most gender groups.
Schools were the most common environment for discrimination, followed by social media and public spaces. In every site, the report notes that “gender diverse youth were significantly more likely to report experiencing discrimination, especially compared to cisgender boys.”
For example, 20 per cent of cisgender boys reported experiencing discrimination at school, compared with 32 per cent of trans girls, 53 per cent of nonbinary youth and 57 per cent of trans boys. Additionally, gender-diverse youth were three times more likely to report discrimination in health care settings, such as hospitals and clinics, compared with cisgender peers, although the overall percentages of such experiences were lower than in other environments.
Dr. Saewyc suggests the rise in discrimination may be linked to increased public protests against sexual orientation and gender identity education and policies promoting inclusivity for trans youth and their gender identities.
The report also reveals that gender-diverse youth reported feeling least safe in washrooms and changing rooms, with trans boys feeling particularly vulnerable. In 2023, fewer than half of all gender-diverse young people felt safe in changing rooms.
“We can’t say for sure, not with our research, but certainly, we’ve seen in the news these kinds of stories about people pushing back against whether or not trans and non-binary young people are allowed to be in spaces, and that’s a concern,” Dr. Saewyc said.
The report also indicates that gender-diverse youth were significantly less likely to rate their mental health as good or excellent, with declines observed across all groups. Additionally, nearly half of trans boys, nonbinary youth and questioning youth missed out on needed mental health services in the past year.
The report says many gender-diverse young people wrote in the survey that they wanted to learn more about mental health issues, and how to get help.
The report recommends enhancing inclusive environments and enforcing 2SLGBTQ+ human rights protections in schools. It also calls for inclusive, accurate sex education, citing that the majority of gender-diverse youth reported their education had not been relevant to their gender or sexual orientation.
“I would say that this is an opportunity for teachers in school who have that responsibility for sex ed to reach out and provide further information to ensure that everyone gets their questions answered,” Dr. Saewyc said.