Growing up these days is hard..You can’t go a day without being bombarded by the constant stream of information and the latest trends on social media..From TikTok to Instagram, Facebook and Twitter we're all flooded with images of “influencers” telling us how we should dress, what we should think and it seems like these days, who we should be attracted to..It’s easy to see where parents are increasingly up in arms about what is being taught in schools around sexual education and sexual minorities' issues..That’s why, like many of you I was shocked to see that a Saskatchewan principal told some concerned parents that 32% of Saskatchewan students identify as a sexual minority..My curiosity took over, I sent the article to my social sphere and the overwhelming response from the gays to the straights was the same. “Bullshit.”.I dug into the numbers, not of the Saskatchewan survey, we are still yet to get eyes on the mysterious document that allowed for such a bold proclamation from the educator, but into the numbers I could find from Statistics Canada..They don’t exactly show what you think..There is no doubt, younger Canadians are more openly and likely to identify as a sexual minority..According to Statistics Canada, “Youth aged 15 to 24 comprised just under a third (30%) of the LGBTQ2+ population in 2018, compared with 14% of the non-LGBTQ2+ population. At the other end of the spectrum, 7% of LGBTQ2+ Canadians were aged 65 or older, compared with 21% of non-LGBTQ2+ Canadians.”.This alone may make it seem that there is “something in the water” that is driving Canadian youth into the arms of the queer community, but digging deeper into the numbers opened my eyes.. Table 1. Gender identities of Canadian youth aged 12 to 17 years overall and by age, 2019 Canadian Health Survey on Children and YouthGender identities of Canadian youth aged 12 to 17 years overall and by age, 2019 Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth .A 2019 report on sexual attraction among Canadian youth paints an interesting picture of just what the facts are..The reality is 99.5% of Canadian’s aged 12-17 identify as cisgender or the gender they were at birth. This leaves only 0.2% as non-binary or 0.2% as transgender. Hardly a figure to lose sleep over..This same report further breaks down the figures. Almost 80% of youth aged 15 to 17 identify as “straight.” That leaves about 20% who would identify as a sexual minority right?.Not exactly..You see, the report also points out that only about 1% are “only attracted to the same gender” or gay and almost 4% aren’t sure who they are attracted to yet..This leaves an interesting middle group, or people like me. People attracted to both genders..Actually, this group appears to make up the majority of the sexual minority spectrum and that may not say what you think it says..With 16% of youth saying they are attracted to both genders, this number is further broken down into 10% that are mostly attracted to the opposite gender or once again “straight.”.Another 5% report they are equally attracted to both genders and 1% said they are mostly attracted to the same gender, or gay.. Table 2. Sexual attraction of Canadian male and female youth aged 15 to 17 years, overall and by gender, 2019 Canadian Health Survey on Children and YouthSexual attraction of Canadian male and female youth aged 15 to 17 years, overall and by gender, 2019 Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth .The community isn't growing in the way you think it is growing. Instead, this group is very likely made up of questioning and open-minded individuals..Think Katy Perry’s 2008 hit “I kissed a girl.”.The report even makes this inference: “While youth who were not sure of their sexual attraction were classified as not exclusively attracted to the opposite gender, some of these youth may develop a heterosexual orientation later on.”.So, while 20% of youth identifying as a sexual minority is a shockingly high number, especially when contrasted with only about 4% of the total Canadian population identifying this way, it’s more likely that Canadian youth, like so many of us, are just figuring things out as they go and the more accurate number is closer to 10%.I also won’t object to a “social contagion” effect..The youth of today are subjected to peer pressure and influences in every aspect of their lives, there is no doubt that some kids chose to identify as a sexual minority in an effort to just belong, but the data just doesn’t support the argument these numbers are being driven by the education system..We aren’t that far removed from the days when it was illegal to be a sexual minority in this country. We are even less removed from the time when a person could lose their job or be refused service based on their sexuality. It’s easy to see why older generations have been less open regarding their sexual preferences..With the passage of the Civil Marriage Act in 2005, the kids of today have never grown up in a country that didn’t defend the rights of sexual minorities and they are more open to identifying with the sexual minority community..There are some numbers to be worried about. By some estimates, youth who identify as part of the sexual minority make up between 25% and 40% of homeless youth in Canada. They are also more susceptible to drug use and abuse and more likely to attempt suicide..Many of these kids end up on the streets after being rejected by their families because of their sexual preference. The underlying effort of pride is to bring light to these issues across our country..32% is a big number..But if we just let kids be kids, like most things, they will grow out of it.
