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Supporters of SOGI education to rally in Abbotsford Tuesday

Group says demonstration aims to “stand against hatred, and the spread of disinformation”
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A group of Fraser Valley residents and parents are planning a rally in support of education about sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) issues in local schools.

The rally, which is being organized by BC Parents for Inclusivity, will see participants gather at Colleen and Gordie Howe Middle School from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

Organizers say they are standing “against hatred, and the spread of disinformation about SOGI 123.”

SOGI 123 is a slate of educational materials included in the B.C. curriculum addressing issues and topics surrounding LGBTQ inclusion and aimed at reducing bullying. The hope, 19-year-old Ashes Hansen, told The News earlier this month, is that students will learn “there are a variety of gender identities and sexual orientations and identifying with them is OK.”

Critics, though, have called SOGI materials “propaganda.”

Organizers of Tuesday’s march held a rally in Langley in late Spetember in support of LGBTQ youth and SOGI materials. Meanwhile, opponents to the policies are expected to gather in Chilliwack in support of controversial school trustee Barry Neufeld.