By Owen Charters, President & CEO, BGC Canada

June 13, 2023

Not too long ago, we shared some style guides with our BGC Canada staff that discussed using language in more appropriate, inclusive ways in different situations and to recognize various populations.

Language is always evolving, and despite some areas where it seems to devolve (the use of emojis, perhaps?), it’s usually a progressive thing. 

As BGC Canada is a social service provider and needs to be in sync with the populations and causes we serve and support, we need to be aware of the language we use. We need to be progressive. We want to ensure we are following best practices and appropriately reflecting or representing the populations and issues we’re talking about.

In my previous work with kids with disabilities, we were trained early on to use language that was enabling. One of the most frustrating lines that often appears in the media is “She was confined to a wheelchair.” People in wheelchairs are not confined. It’s quite the opposite; the wheelchair offers them mobility and capacity for independence—it is not a confining device. 

People with disabilities do not want to be ‘disabled people’—they are people first, not disabled first. So “people with disabilities” is greatly preferred. And some are increasingly asked to be noted as ‘differently-abled’—because, it turns out, we ALL have some form of disability. I wear glasses and can’t see without them. Some people have asthma and can’t do certain athletic activities without an inhaler. So why do we differentiate those that are “obviously” disabled from those who might seem less so? 

That’s why inclusive style guides are important. 

Language is important and should be enabling, not belittling. It’s easy to fall into bad habits—doctors are infamous for this: “Did you get to see the diabetic in exam room 1? I just spoke with the broken leg in 2.” The language completely removes the person and undermines the respect for the individuals who are the patients—whole people who have needs and lives beyond their injury or disease. 

Since one of our core values is ‘Respect: We ensure that everyone is heard, valued, and treated fairly,’ we need to ensure we use language that shows that respect.

If you’re looking for inclusive style guides, I recommend:

• A Progressive’s Style Guide – Sum Of Us
• Style Guide for Reporting on Indigenous People – Journalists for Human Rights 
• Two Spirits, One Voice – Egale 
• Why we decided to capitalize Black, Aboriginal and Indigenous – TVO 
• Training and Workshops from The Canadian Centre for Gender + Sexual Diversity 

Read more:  

• BGC Canada’s commitment to Indigenous Engagement and Reconciliation
• BGC Canada’s Statement on Racism and Discrimination 
• Celebrating Pride at BGC Clubs

June is Pride Month!

It’s a time to celebrate who you are and embrace others for doing the same. Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada’s National Youth Council wants to hear what Pride means to you.

Download this template to print and colour an awesome t-shirt and share your art with us on social media using the hashtag #BGCCPride!

Club staff and members, parents and kids—everyone can get involved and show us your Pride design!

The latest message from Owen Charters, President & CEO, Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada (June 5). Full transcript below.

Today is Unplug to Connect, a day where we celebrate the work we do in Clubs face to face.

Unplug to Connect emphasizes how important it is to get disconnected from our devices and meet in person. Ironically, the only way for me to connect today is virtually, through this video, for instance.

And I am going to tell you that I am tired. Really tired.

Tired of connecting virtually and not in person. And really tired of the same problems that don’t get fixed.

This was a week of unrest and upheaval—protests against anti-Black racism in the US and around the world.

These protests are against a system that has serious flaws, serious problems that are not getting fixed.

My family knows racism. When my Japanese grandparents arrived on the shores of Canada, it wasn’t long before institutionalized racism meant they were stripped of all their belongings—their homes, their business—and incarcerated in internment camps in the interior of British Columbia as enemy aliens. It’s only one incident in a legacy of racism that continues today in this country.

Racism against Blacks, Indigenous, and People of Colour is insidious. It is what our Clubs contend with each and every day—the effects of pervasive racism.

I’m not alone in being tired of this fight—our National Youth Council have stated that “we are frustrated, angry, and emotionally exhausted.” Read their full statement here, and read Boys & Girls Clubs of Canada’s statement here.

Clubs are part of the solution, and they continue to work hard to confront and eradicate the effects of racism. They teach core values like Belonging, Respect, Speaking Out, which are central to creating inclusion.

It is also the start of Pride Month. Our work to create a society that is just, equitable, and safe for all is paramount. Our goal is to ensure youth can see and access all the opportunities that should be open to them.

I know that despite my heritage I now stand here as a person with privilege, and as an ally. I must take action. You must take action.

We must have the difficult conversations and open dialogue that are necessary to move forward and ensure Black, Indigenous, and all youth of colour have the right to be full participants in society and to walk without fear. Be an active part of the solution.  Do as our national youth council asks: Sign petitions. Call, text, and email. Write letters. Walk, demonstrate, donate. Educate yourself and your family. Check on your affected friends.

And take care of yourself.