Abbotsford anti-SOGI and anti 2SIALGBTQ+ marches are not showing signs of slowing down.

Many anti-SOGI marches have quietened down across the nation since the Millions March 4 Children on Sept. 20th. In the Fraser Valley, smaller protests and demonstrations have continued weekly, and taken a further step in their vocal opposition to gender diversity education on Oct. 21st with another Million March 4 Children protest.

“It's just been allowed to kind of fester and grow in a way that maybe it hasn't in other communities,” says Ali Slack, executive director of the Fraser Valley Youth Society.

“There is a religious base to a lot of the misinformation right now. It's sad,” adds Slack, noting that “diversity and equity and inclusion policies that are teaching people that there are differences” are being misunderstood or misrepresented by community members who are fighting to limit what they see as "indoctrination of children."

Members of the Queer communities of the Fraser Valley went to Jubilee Park in Abbotsford the night before the most recent protest, Saturday afternoon, to “chalk love-bomb” the pathway with positive messages for inclusivity, but were accosted by Anti-Sogi marchers setting up for their protest.

The lasting effects have been that members of the 2SIALGBTQ+ are starting to feel fear of stepping outside, of being open about their identities. As a result, the counter protest numbers have dwindled. 

“People have been being followed. There's this sense of unsafety associated with going to these events,” Slack says. “The queer community and allies are feeling very tired and exhausted from what's going on. There's a level of mental toll and drain that things like this take on you when you're part of the marginalized community that others don't have to feel.”

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