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BC TEAL Journal Volume 8 Number 1 (2023): 1–7 

https://doi.org/10.14288/bctj.v8i1.501 

Research Paper 

 

An Examination of LGBTQ+ Representation in a Canadian ELT Newspaper 

 

Hilda Freimuth 

Thompson Rivers University 

 

Leah Walter 

Dalhousie University 

 

Abstract 

 

Up to 30% of the world’s population is part of the LGBTQ+ community. Yet, representation in 

English language programs and classroom materials around the world appears to be minimal to 

non-existent. This study conducted a content analysis of LGBTQ+ representation in one locally 

produced ELT newspaper in British Columbia, Canada to investigate if a more localized 

publication with less pressure to appeal to a mass readership would yield greater representation. 

The study found that five instances of representation occurred in a four-year span of production 

of thirty-nine newspapers. This finding is significant in that very few examples of this type exist 

in the literature.  

 

Introduction 

 

The drive towards greater inclusion and diversity in the field of English as an additional 

language (EAL) education has been commendable in the past few decades. Diverse racial and 

ethnic representation in many English language teaching (ELT) textbooks, once invisible, is now 

relatively common although more work still needs to be done (Bowen & Hopper, 2022). 

However, representation of gender and sexual identity, which has also been non-existent in ELT 

textbooks, has not fared as well in terms of an increase in visibility (Evripidou, 2020; Freimuth, 

2022; Gray, 2013; Merse, 2015; Nelson, 2009; Paiz, 2019, Seburn, 2019). With up to 30% of the 

world’s population identifying as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Questioning 

+ (LGBTQ+) (Varrella, 2022), it is important to have representation of the community within 

ELT classrooms, textbooks, materials, and lessons. In fact, UNESCO has called for this inclusion 

in all school-related materials to build safer schools and greater inclusivity in educational 

programs worldwide (UNESCO, 2016). Seburn (2021) has argued comprehensive inclusion of 

the LGBTQ+ community in materials not only makes learners from this community feel relevant 

but also makes learning more effective as a result. Bollas (2021) claimed this lack of learning is, 

in fact, a result of limiting a learner’s additional language learning motivation. According to 

Seburn (2018), materials that do make an attempt to include the LGBTQ+ community either are 

as close to heteronormative as possible or are offered in a separate chapter, thereby otherizing or 

marginalizing the community itself.  

 

 In an attempt to build a sense of belonging in the ELT classrooms of British Columbia 

and Canada, representation of the LGBTQ+ community needs to occur in a number of ways. One 

of these is representation within the materials used for instruction. Whereas textbooks published 

for mass audiences in the United Kingdom and North America have shown little to no inclusion 

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BC TEAL Journal Volume 8 Number 1 (2023): 1–7 

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of the LGBTQ+ community (Evripidou, 2020; Freimuth, 2022; Gray, 2013; Merse, 2015; 

Nelson, 2009; Paiz, 2019, Seburn, 2019), more localized publications could include greater 

representation as they may have less concern for profit. Moore (2020) asserted the concern for 

profit (mass audience appeal) is the main reason for the lack of LGBTQ+ representation in 

textbooks. So, would a more localized publication include more representation? In answer to this 

question, this study examines the content of a local ELT newspaper published in British 

Columbia—The Westcoast Reader (WCR)1. The WCR covers news stories from across the 

province in such a way that English language learners of varied English language abilities are 

able to read and understand the news articles. This type of localized publication in a province 

that supports and promotes the rights of the LGBTQ+ community through the B.C. Human 

Rights Commission (B.C. Government, 2022) should ideally have some representation in place. 

This study, therefore, examines the WCR to determine the amount of presence of LGBTQ+ 

representation within its papers.  

 

Literature Review 

 

Two terms central to this study are diversity and inclusion. With these meaning different things 

to different people, the words require defining here. In terms of this study, diversity is defined as 

the presence of “a range of different social and ethnic backgrounds and of different genders, 

sexual orientations etc.” (Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries, 2022). Inclusion, on the other hand, is 

the act of creating a sense of belonging for all people, regardless of ethnicity, race, gender, and 

identity (Petriwskyj, 2010).  

 

 The literature shows that while there has been a great effort made in terms of diversity 

and inclusion of racial and ethnic representation in ELT textbooks, little representation of the 

LGBTQ+ community exists (Evripidou, 2020; Freimuth, 2022; Gray, 2013; Merse, 2015; 

Nelson, 2009; Paiz, 2019, Seburn, 2019). It appears diversity of gender and identity are not even 

minimally represented in ELT materials despite findings of this lack of representation twenty 

years ago. Back in 1999, Thornbury (p. 15) claimed representation was “nowhere to be found. 

They [the LGBTQ+ community] are still firmly in the coursebook closet. Coursebook people are 

never gay.” De Vincenti et al. (2007) found this to be true of French, Italian, and Japanese 

language materials used at an Australian university as well. In 2013, Gray conducted a study in 

the United Kingdom on LGBTQ+ representation in a number of ELT textbooks. This study also 

confirmed a dearth of representation. Paiz’s (2015) findings also drew a similar conclusion. 

Seven years later, another study on five textbooks that are part of a popular North American ELT 

series found, yet again, zero representation of the LGBTQ+ community even though fifteen 

instances of possible inclusion (e.g., the LGTBQ+ coming of age ceremony in Japan) were noted 

(Freimuth, 2022).  

 

 The reason for this lack of representation likely lays with the publishers and their fear of 

lower profit margins (Moore, 2020). In fact, when authors try to include representation, the 

publishers often censor the content (Goldstein, 2015). This lack of representation, therefore, is 

linked to reaching as wide an audience as possible. This focus on a wide audience then begs the 

question: Do ELT materials produced for a more localized audience house greater 

                                                 
1 The name of the ELT newspaper that is the subject of this article has not been anonymized to let readers know how 

useful this newspaper is and to encourage them to use it with their learners for its inclusivity.   

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BC TEAL Journal Volume 8 Number 1 (2023): 1–7 

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representation? A thorough search of the literature revealed few studies on this worldwide, let 

alone in Canada. One study that was found on localized ELT materials at a state university in 

Turkey showed mis- and under-representation (Selvi & Kocaman, 2020). But what about places 

where LGBTQ+ communities are supported? Is there greater representation in localized ELT 

materials then? To answer this question, a number of issues of one ELT newspaper for English 

language learners in British Columbia were examined.  

 

Method 

 

The method of investigation chosen for this study was content analysis. This approach is one 

kind of qualitative or quantitative research method used to analyze data in text form, be it 

derived from narratives, interviews, observations, or print media (Hsieh & Shannon, 2005). It is 

a research tool that enables the researcher to determine the presence of something, such as 

certain words or themes. Therefore, content analysis allows for the easy analysis of print media 

(such as newspapers) and for the counting of instances (such as LGBTQ+ representation) within 

the material. This type of newspaper analysis is not new and was born out of the need for ethical 

standards in newspapers in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th century 

(Krippendorf, 2019). It continues to be used today as it allows for a relatively simple, systematic 

way of analyzing newspapers and other written texts.  

 

 The WCR was chosen for two reasons. Firstly, it is free to many English language 

learning programs in British Columbia and thus widely used. For those institutes or individuals 

that do pay, a minimal fee of twenty dollars is charged annually. The paper is also based out of a 

large urban centre. With funding from the B.C. Government (Westcoast Reader, 2022), this 

newspaper should, ideally, be free to include a fair representation of all peoples in British 

Columbia without profit margin concerns. Copies of the WCR available to the principal 

investigator through the university in which they work were used in this study. This totalled 

thirty-nine newspapers ranging from March 2018 to June 2022, with no publications taking place 

in July and August. Each newspaper was first analyzed by the principal investigator. Instances of 

LGBTQ+ representations (e.g., Pride Parade) were highlighted and recorded in a table. Upon 

completion of the analysis, a university student from the LGBTQ+ community completed the 

analysis as well, without having access to the data generated in the first round. The two findings 

were then compared to ensure reliability. No discrepancies were found in the two data sets. 

Instances were then added up for a total count. Instances were not analyzed for positive or 

negative representation of the LGBTQ+ community, only for presence. 

 

Findings 

 

 The findings showed a total of five instances of LGBTQ+ representation over a span of 

four years. Issues for May 2018, October 2018, May 2020, June 2020, December 2020 were not 

included in the data set as they were unavailable at the time of research. The years of 2018, 2019, 

and 2020 all had one instance of representation each while 2021 had two and 2022 had zero to 

date. The content analysis of the readers revealed the following data (Table 1): 

  

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Table 1 

 

LGBTQ+ Instances of Representation in WCR 

 

Number Month + Year Instances Total 

1 March 2018 0  

2 April 2018 0  

3 June 2018 0  

4 September 2018 1 – RCMP Safe Place Program 1 

5 November 2018 0  

6 December 2018 0  

7 January 2019 0  

8 February 2019 0  

9 March 2019  0  

10 April 2019 0  

11 May 2019 0  

12 June 2019 0  

13 September 2019 0  

14 October 2019 1 Rainbow Crosswalk 1 

15 November 2019 0  

16 December 2019 0  

17 January 2020 0  

18 February 2020 1 nonbinary term 1 

19 March 2020 0  

20 April 2020 0  

21 September 2020 0  

22 October 2020 0  

23 November 2020 0  

24 January 2021 0  

25 February 2021 0  

26 March 2021 1 gender neutral title / 1990 Gay Games 2 

27 April 2021 0  

28 May 2021 0  

29 June 2021 0  

30 September 2021 0  

31 October 2021 0  

32 November 2021 0  

33 December 2021 0  

34 January 2022 0  

35 February 2022 0  

36 March 2022 0  

37 April 2022 0  

38 May 2022 0  

39 June 2022 0  

TOTAL   5 

 

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Discussion 

 

The goal of this research was to determine if more localized ELT materials, in this case the 

WCR, feature more representation of the LGBTQ+ community than textbooks written for wider 

audiences by more substantial publishers. The findings indicated that yes, more representation 

exists although still limited in number (with only five instances). Something to note is that the 

calendar of holidays and celebrations in all of the issues did not feature the yearly Pride Parade 

or LGBTQ+ festivities across B.C.—an ideal place to promote greater inclusion. The reason for 

this omission is unknown and required further investigation and will be addressed later in this 

discussion. On another interesting note, the WCR appeared to be highly inclusive in terms of 

Indigenous content and ethnic diversity, which leads to the question—why is there so little 

LGBTQ+ representation, which is also part of being inclusive? While the representation is 

greater than that in standard ELT textbooks, for which the paper should be commended, five 

instances over four years is by no means extraordinary. If one third of the world’s population 

(and thus by extension B.C.’s population) identifies as part of the LGBTQ+ community in some 

way, perhaps one-third of all the newspaper’s content should reflect this. It would certainly be a 

fairer representation. If so, then the representation in the papers would total around thirteen 

instances rather than five. However, the process of article selection—which draws from 

newspapers across B.C.—is unclear. Perhaps the representation in the various sources used is 

simply not there. Or the selection process does not take into account the need for diversity in 

gender and sexual identity to the same degree it does ethnicity and Indigenous representation.  

 

 In an effort to clarify how diversity is taken into account by the newspaper, the principal 

investigator reached out via email to the WCR for more information. The co-editor of the paper 

informed the principal investigator of the following. Firstly, the selection team consists of a 

journalist, teacher, and literacy practitioner who meet monthly to review possible stories for 

inclusion. Articles are chosen to reflect the diversity of the WCR readership, which include 

English language and literacy learners, elementary and secondary school students, new 

Canadians, multicultural senior groups, prison inmates, people with disabilities, and patients with 

stroke and brain injuries. In a recent survey of members, the WCR found that the majority of 

readers are especially interested in current B.C. Government news, the Canadian way of life, 

food, health, and nature. In an effort to show regional balance, the team draws from many 

different sources, including community newspapers from rural and remote areas of B.C. In 

response to the question regarding the missing Pride Parade event on the annual calendars in the 

WCR, the co-editor explained items on the calendar are statutory holidays, international days of 

observance, important dates in Canadian history, or seasonal occasions like Halloween. Local 

events specific to one location are not usually included, but the co-editor noted that the WCR 

would be happy to include Pride festivities. Perhaps this study will encourage the WCR to 

include greater LGBTQ+ representation in the future.  

 

Conclusion 

 

This study’s content analysis of thirty-nine issues of the WCR found five instances of LGBTQ+ 

representation—resulting in a resounding yes to the research question: Is there greater 

representation in localized ELT materials where LGBTQ+ communities are supported? While 

the number thirty-nine is relatively strong in terms of analysis, the newspaper is over forty years 

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old and has the potential for an analysis of hundreds of papers. A more comprehensive study 

could therefore be beneficial in the future. This future investigation could include a closer look at 

the distribution of LGBTQ+ representation over time and answer questions related to the first 

mentions of LGBTQ+ content and how the selection process and criteria have changed over 

time. This study’s positive findings, as incremental as they may be, are important in terms of the 

literature. Few studies, if any, have found LGBTQ+ representation in ELT materials worldwide. 

It appears that Canada, in particular B.C., may be leading the way to greater inclusion in terms of 

localized materials for English language instruction, thereby being one of the first countries to 

answer UNESCO’s call for greater inclusivity. 

 

References 

 

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https://doi.org/10.1075/jls.4.1.03pai
https://doi.org/10.1080/15348458.2019.1629933
https://doi.org/10.1080/13603110802504515
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http://contact.teslontario.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Tyson-Seburn.pdf
https://fourc.ca/lgbtqia2-coursebook/
https://doi.org/10.1080/15348458.2020.1726757
https://tinyurl.com/yc55ebnb
https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000244756
https://thewestcoastreader.com/about/
https://www.statista.com/topics/8579/lgbtq-worldwide/#topicHeader__wrapper
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