Counter-protest in Fort McMurray outnumbers protesters in opposition to gender, sexual schooling

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Not more than 30 folks protesting how intercourse and gender are taught in lecture rooms spent Saturday afternoon close to the Fort McMurray court docket home on Franklin Avenue. However they had been met with dozens of counter-protesters who began exterior Peter Pond Mall and crossed the road to take up most house exterior the court docket home.

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The folks opposing sexual orientation and gender identification (SOGI) schooling in faculties are a part of 1 Million March 4 Kids, a nation-wide protest motion that has rallied in dozens of cities and cities throughout Canada. A Fort McMurray rally in opposition to SOGI in September introduced a whole lot of people that marched from the Jubilee Centre to the Catholic and public college divisions.

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Pleasure YMM, an advocacy group for the 2SLGBTQI+ neighborhood in Fort McMurray Wooden Buffalo, organized Saturday’s counter-protest after studying one other rally was taking place.

The anti-SOGI protesters had been disillusioned with their turnout. Councillor Shafiq Dogar made a quick look, however didn’t keep lengthy. Many supporters on the September rally had been Muslim, and protesters on Saturday blamed their turnout on Muslim supporters feeling rattled due to the Israel-Gaza Struggle. Connie Shields, an organizer of the native anti-SOGI protest, insisted Unifor and the Canadian Union of Public Workers (CUPE) paid Pleasure YMM to protest her facet.

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Mitchel Bowers, board chair of Pleasure YMM, laughed when advised about this accusation and mentioned his supporters confirmed up as a result of they really supported the trigger.

“I’m actually pleased with the help we’ve got. Fort McMurray actually turned out for the 2SLGBTQI+ neighborhood,” Bowers mentioned in an interview. “I might have beloved to have much more present up, however I’m evaluating the dimensions of the counter protests and the protests. I’m actually pleased with our numbers. Our voice must be heard louder than theirs.”

No arrests or fights at Saturday rallies

SOGI opponents mentioned they’d no issues with the 2SLGBTQI+ neighborhood, however objected to their values being taught in faculties. This consists of using different pronouns for employees and college students. They felt bullied into accepting the values of 2SLGBTQI+ neighborhood, after they as a substitute wished a “reside and let reside” method between folks, no matter their sexual or gender identification.

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“We don’t hate them and we’re not hateful folks, this can be a peaceable protest. However we don’t need SOGI taught to kids in faculties,” mentioned Zulkifl Mujahid, an organizer of native anti-SOGI protests, in an interview. “Kids can’t consent to any of this.”

Bowers described the anti-SOGI protests as hateful and misinformed. He mentioned it can be crucial college students see folks with totally different sexual and gender identities represented of their lives. This teaches kids about variations and is sweet emotionally for college students figuring out as 2SLGBTQI+, he mentioned.

Bowers, who identifies as two-spirited, by no means noticed queer folks represented rising up. This made him really feel alienated and that there was one thing unsuitable with him. He tried suicide a number of instances. Bowers fears protecting SOGI schooling out of faculties will trigger comparable hurt to college students.

“In case you select to not train kids about an identification or actuality, the queer kids who’re amongst them don’t see themselves represented. They ask the query, ‘what’s unsuitable with me?’ That was my expertise as a child I didn’t see the place we had been rising up,” mentioned Bowers.

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“Instructing sexuality isn’t sexualization. Instructing folks about love and acceptance is what we’re educating.”

The weekend and September rallies had no violent clashes or arrests. Solely two protesters allied with Pleasure YMM spoke with anti-SOGI protesters. Talks weren’t heated, however each side felt the opposite facet was unreasonable.

Pleasure YMM additionally rejected claims that anti-SOGI protesters “invited Pleasure YMM to sit down on the desk” and discuss. The group additionally doubted their sincerity, arguing not one of the native organizers of the anti-SOGI protests have joined Pleasure YMM’s free on-line seminars or workshops on inclusion.

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