Parksville Qualicum Beach residents rallied in support of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) education in schools outside the School District 69 office, in opposition to an anti-SOGI protest held nearby.
The group gathered with signs and flags and encouraged passing cars to show their support the morning of Sept. 20. Close by at the cenotaph another group met in opposition.
Heidi Storey turned out to show her support for SOGI education and inclusivity in schools.
“I believe that kids should be safe and I believe that kids should have a safe place in schools because home isn’t always a safe space,” she said. “I believe in education.”
READ MORE: Cyberbullying hurting 1 in 4 Canadian youths: StatCan
Gord Johns, MP for Courtenay-Alberni, in a social media post, said he supports the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, as well as SOGI and other resources to make schools more inclusive and welcoming.
“I am proud to stand with the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in our fight against ignorance, hate and disinformation—whether found in internet conspiracy theories, embedded in Conservative Party convention resolutions or chanted by anti-SOGI marchers, attacking the principles of equity and inclusion on which Canada is based,” Johns’s statement said.
Oceanside RCMP received no complaints related to the protests, according to Sgt. Shane Worth.
Pro-SOGI and anti-SOGI demonstrations were held across B.C.