VANCOUVER—Protesters and counter-protesters gathered outside the BC Teachers’ Federation headquarters Monday morning, reacting passionately to the province’s LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum on sexual orientation and gender identity, SOGI.

The anti-SOGI rally, called that SOGI 123 Sit Out, was organized by the conservative group Culture Guard, which describes itself as protecting “the natural family, parental rights, the sanctity of life.” It drew roughly 150 people against what the group called “extreme sex ed.”

In response, B.C. Families for Inclusivity organized the counter-demonstration, drawing a similar-sized crowd.

At the morning rally, Vancouver parent Angelina Ireland said the province’s SOGI curriculum tramples on her rights as a parent to decide whether her kids learn about sexual orientation and gender identity.

“Parental rights are being eroded,” she told StarMetro in an interview. “The Ministry of Education goes behind parents’ back and does not ask for permission … before they start discussing very mature subjects” such as SOGI.

On the other side of the street, Glen Hansman, president of the BCTF, came out of his office and joined the counter-rally, protecting LGBTQ rights.

Hansman told StarMetro the argument of parental rights as ground for opposition to SOGI doesn’t hold water. In 2002, when the Surrey School Board lost its legal battle to ban books depicting LGBTQ families, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the public education system has a right to teach tolerance and LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum.

“The Supreme Court was very clear that tolerance is always age appropriate and there are many times when the values or beliefs at home might conflict with that of a secular and non-sectarian public education system,” he said.

Parents can teach their values at home, but because schools have a responsibility to provide a safe and inclusive environment for all students and staff, they must educate kids on sexual orientation and gender identity, he said.

“You can’t say that all views are equally valid because some views are hateful,” Hansman said.

Seventeen-year-old Burnaby student Katie Trasler showed up to the counter-rally with her friends, telling StarMetro she wanted to defend LGBTQ rights.

“Being part of the LGBT community and being invested in the history and the future of the community, it seemed very important (to attend),” she said.

The two crowds faced each other on the street corner across from the Olympic Village Canada Line station. The counter-rally was generally full of chatter, laughter, and rainbow flags, and was attended by parents, kids, teachers and allies.

Parents, kids, and community members were among those present at the anti-SOGI rally, as were members of the Soldiers of Odin. The Soldiers of Odin is a street-patrol group whose founder was convicted of racially aggravated assault in Finland, but which denies ongoing accusations of racism or of being white nationalists.

About five people wearing leather jackets emblazoned with ‘Soldiers of Odin Canada’ stood with the anti-SOGI protesters. One of them, who identified himself as Rick and would not give a last name, told StarMetro he was there to learn about “both sides.”

He also argued that parents should have the right to choose whether their kids learn about sexual orientation and gender identity in schools, but noted his limited knowledge of the issues at hand.

Although he said he’s not transphobic or homophobic, he said “I’m ignorant, I don’t know about transgenders, that’s why I’m here.”

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At least one protester at the anti-SOGI rally held up a sign with an anti-Semitic slogan, which included the suggestion that an international network of Jewish people are responsible for the SOGI curriculum. In fact, a small non-profit — the ARC Foundation — and University of B.C., the BCTF, and the Ministry of Education have developed the SOGI curriculum collaboratively.

Under BC Human Rights law people are protected from discrimination based on their gender identity and sexual orientation, and according to the ARC Foundation website, SOGI curriculum aims to create safer and more inclusive school environments for marginalized LGBTQ students.

Hansman said he wasn’t surprised to see these other groups at the anti-SOGI rally.

“It’s all interconnected, right? Culture Guard … has been promoting hate so it’s not surprising that like-minded groups will affiliate themselves to that.”

Gioia Breda, president of the Surrey Teachers’ Association, said the SOGI curriculum supports all kids.

“SOGI saves lives, it really does,” she said in an interview. “It’s important not just for LGBTQ youth, but research is showing that when all youth are shown that they’re included and respected and cared for at school … that message resonates for everyone.”

Former Vancouver District Parent Advisory Council chair Morgane Oger — a 2017 B.C. NDP candidate now vying for Vancouver mayor — kicked off the demonstration leading a chant with a bullhorn: “SOGI ed is here to stay, we won’t have it any other way.”

Meanwhile, across the street, anti-SOGI demonstrators held up signs reading, “Don’t mess with our children” and, “parents have rights.”

Generally, the groups kept to themselves, however there was some intermingling. Emmet Gebhart, 18 and Athena Mackay, 25 were at the counter-rally to protect LGBTQ rights but went over to the anti-SOGI rally to listen to one of the speakers.

According to Gebhart, the two of them were quickly surrounded by anti-SOGI protesters and asked to leave.

“We got screamed at to take our (rainbow) flags and go back” to the other side.

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