Opponents of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) movement used Pro-D Day on Friday, Sept. 20 to stand in protest by Coquitlam City Hall.
But their rally in support of the nationwide Million March for Children, which rejects the “indoctrination of gender ideology in public schools across Canada,” only drew a handful of supporters to their Coquitlam meeting spot.
That, they claimed, was because someone had intentionally changed the place and time for their online ad.
“Probably them,” one woman told the Tri-City News, while pointing to the crowd of about 25 people directly in front of city hall who flew Pride flags, waved fans and held signs to support SOGI teachings.
Unlike the Sept. 20, 2023, rally, which drew more than 500 anti-SOGI protesters from around Metro Vancouver and saw violence, intimation and hatred spewed at the SOGI supporters, today’s assembly was peaceful: Protesters and counter-protesters kept their distance from each other and Coquitlam RCMP officers were not present; bylaw enforcement manager Aaron Hilgerdenaar stopped in briefly to assess the scene and spoke with the anti-SOGI group about traffic safety.
At the corner, they distributed a newspaper titled Druthers to passersby, which had the headline “Leave Our Kids Alone” with a front page article penned by Paul Elias Alexander, who has master’s degrees in science, as well as a PhD.
“Why is sex being taught in schools?” one woman asked. “I don’t understand why the government and Justin Trudeau are taking away our rights as parents.”
Another woman questioned why her grandson in Grade 6 in Port Coquitlam had to declare his pronouns before the class.
“It’s brainwashing,” a man added.
But Nicola Spurling, the BC Green Party candidate in Coquitlam–Maillardville who helped to organize the pro-SOGI rally for the Tri-Cities Pride Society, which she founded, said the lack of response from the anti-SOGI side was telling.
“When you look across the street, you don’t see inclusion,” Spurling said, adding she was pleased with the turnout for the counter protest.
“We are now being supported and by the city. It’s something new because the city has been silent for so long about recognizing our rights and flying the Pride flag, but we are happy they are on board now.”
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