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HomeNewsAdvocacy group accused of misappropriating SOGI logo, said they “anticipate protesters”

Advocacy group accused of misappropriating SOGI logo, said they “anticipate protesters”

CAMPBELL RIVER, B.C- A controversial advocacy group has been accused by the head of the Campbell River Teachers Association of misrepresenting the SOGI 123 logo.  

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) is an initiative aimed at educating students and teachers on issues regarding gender and sexuality in school children.

Earlier this week, flyers were delivered around the city inviting residents to attend a “free info meeting” about SOGI 123.

The flyers used the SOGI 123 logo and had a parental advisory for explicit content warning. it also said the event would be featuring guest speakers Kari Simpson and Jenn Smith.  

“These people misappropriated the SOGI 123 logo and thereby misrepresented their meeting as being an informative meeting about it (the curriculum),” said Dave Harper, president of the Campbell River District Teachers Association.  

“There could be people showing up to this meeting thinking this is an actual information session about SOGI, when in fact this is an anti-SOGI presentation.”

Simpson said she was unaware of what was on the flyers.

“If anyone wants to talk to me about copyright infringement, they certainly know where to find me. But no one has done that yet,” she said.

“I would welcome them to challenge anyone using a logo that is paid for by taxpayers.”

Simpson says Culture Guard was invited by a number of parents from Campbell River to speak on the subject of SOGI.

According to the group’s website, Culture Guard is opposed to SOGI.

Simpson said Culture Guard will be returning every four weeks to keep people informed and to stop SOGI from becoming implemented in the school system.

When asked about opposition to the meeting, Simpson said she always anticipates protesters.  

“There’s always a group that travel around and try to conjure up opposition and animosity towards what we’re doing,” she said.

Simpson said the BC Teachers Federation recruits protesters to anti-SOGI rallies and meetings, calling them a “rent-a-mob”.

“I absolutely do not recruit people, quite frankly I discourage people from attending this meeting on Saturday night,” said Harper.

“I am both repulsed and revulsed by their opinions, their tactics and their strategies. That said it’s a secular democracy and they’re free to speak their piece, but that doesn’t mean I have to sit idly by and accept it.”

“I am a parent of a child in this system and the idea that their ideas could somehow enter the system just scares the death out of me.”

Harper said he had no intentions of organizing a protest against the event.

The meeting is being held at the Campbell River Community Center at 7:00pm this Saturday.

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