A group of close to 700 people have joined (LPI) and are taking messages of love, acceptance, and the need for student safety to the board of education next week.
A few weeks ago, Walnut Grove鈥檚 Stacey Wakelin learned that a local women, Kari Simpson, was speaking out against a new Sexual Orientation and Gender Identification (SOGI) curriculum being implemented province wide.
Simpson had been to two school board meetings earlier in the year, and would be speaking again on Tuesday, Sept. 26, pushing to have the 91原创 school trustees quash this within local schools.
鈥淲e鈥檒l be asking for a full moratorium on SOGI, full stop,鈥� Simpson previously told the 91原创 Advance.
Unable to 鈥渏ust sit back鈥� and let the well-known conservative activist and her relatively newly group called Parents United Canada be the only voice on the issue, Wakelin has launched counter measures.
Several hundred, she said, have thrown support behind her efforts.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not even a fight,鈥� Wakelin said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 standing up for what鈥檚 right. They are human rights,鈥� she added, supporting the SOGI program because it offers best practices and curriculum resources for elementary and secondary classrooms.
鈥淲e formed to offer our support to the LGBTQ youth/families and educators in 91原创, as debate continues over the SOGI 123 curriculum in our schools,鈥� she elaborated.
鈥淲e stand together to speak out for love, acceptance, safety and inclusivity for all students in our schools. We are not here to fight. We are here to support and educate. Our focus remains on inclusive education and support for families in our community.鈥�
NOTE: The inaugural meeting of 91原创 Parents for Inclusivity attracted about 25 people 鈥� from both sides of the issue 鈥� Wakelin said. The meeting was .
Towards this end, the new LPI is planning a rally in front of the school district offices next Tuesday night, ahead of the board meeting.
鈥淚t will be peaceful,鈥� Wakelin insisted of the rally. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a positive thing. We鈥檙e not attacking the other side. We鈥檙e simply there to support the SOGI curriculum and the students, families, and educators鈥� The other side of this debate needs to be heard.鈥�
The rally, Wakelin said, begins at 5:45 p.m. The team will begin gathering at 5 p.m.
The regular board meeting starts inside at 7 p.m. She is one of the delegations expected to address the trustees about SOGI.
Since this all started two weeks ago, a number of people from throughout the Lower Mainland have reached out to Wakelin on her new group鈥檚 Facebook page or through email, and shared their personal stories of discrimination, hate, and violation.
They鈥檝e also expressed appreciation of the SOGI curriculum 鈥� insistent, as Wakelin is, that it鈥檚 not an attack against religion or an effort to 鈥渞ecruit鈥� people to be someone they鈥檙e not.
At its core, it鈥檚 about tolerance and acceptance. It鈥檚 about inclusion and education, she said.
The mother of two said she鈥檚 doing this 鈥渂ecause there are children that need us to speak up.
鈥淟et鈥檚 focus on what we are uniting against and work together,鈥� she added.
鈥淚 am not looking for a ribbon or a trophy, I just want this community to be better, for my kids and future grandkids. I am also just tired of a lack of education and understanding, so we are doing something about it.鈥�
Charlene Zablotny of 91原创, was among those who joined the Wakelin in her quest, and vows to be at the rally and board meeting.
As a fourth-generation privlieged Canadian, she said she can鈥檛 presume to speak for any community, LGBTQ or other who are living with bigotry and exclusion.
But she has seen the pain many suffer and won鈥檛 sit back quietly and watch.
鈥淪o, Sept 26th鈥� when I stand up holding a rainbow flag, it鈥檚 because I want to live in a place where I can be me, and you can be you, and we all honour and respect each other,鈥� Zablotny said.
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