Gender-diverse youth in B.C. have made strides in accessing community support, but face higher rates of discrimination

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.