Duelling rallies took place in Vancouver on Monday over the sexual orientations and gender identities (SOGI 123) program in B.C. schools.

Hundreds of people gathered outside the B.C. Teachers’ Federation office, some to show their support for the program, and others to protest against it. For the most part, the two groups stayed apart from each other, but some mingled to talk about their opposing viewpoints.

SOGI 123 was developed for B.C. teachers through a collaboration between the Ministry of Education, the BC Teachers’ Federation, UBC’s Faculty of Education, and multiple LGBTQ organizations.

The goal of the program is to create schools where students of all sexual orientations and gender identities feel welcome and safe, including those who identify as LGBTQ+. Read more via Global News