On September 20th, schools in Nanaimo could see many students taken out of classes early due to a protest at Maffeo Sutton Park.
The group protesting is called the Million March for Children, and according to them, they are advocating for the elimination of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Inclusive education or SOGI.
Protestors plan to take their kids out of school early and march from City Hall to Maffeo Sutton Park.
SD 68 and 79 have put out statements standing by SOGI and the LGBTQQ2S+ community, saying that they are dedicated to fostering an “inclusive and welcoming environment” for all students.
Nanaimo Pride said in a Facebook post that they are organizing a counter-protest called “No Space for Hate” and says the stance taken by the Million March “is known to be rooted in anti-gay/anti-trans sentiment, and has nothing to do with protecting children.”
According to the Ministry of Education and Childcare, SOGI is not a dedicated curriculum. Instead, it’s a set of resources under the Physical and Health Education Curriculum.
