In a display of solidarity and activism, the Surrey Dyke March held its fourth march and rally on Saturday, Aug. 23 in Holland Park, reigniting the spirit of Pride as a protest against rising anti-queer and anti-trans sentiments.
"We want to continue that route, especially right now with the way that the political climate is moving towards, especially in Canada and the United States," one of the organizers, Tiffany Tsai, said.
"The anti-trans and anti-queer rhetoric is on the rise, and we wanted to be here to bring back the spirit of Pride as a riot, as a protest, to stand in solidarity with our queer and trans community.
"To let them know that whatever the politics and whatever the policies are being pushed forward at the moment, things like the anti-Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) policies that are being introduced across the country, that we're not afraid to stand out here and loudly and proudly say, 'We're here, we exist.' We're not going to go anywhere, and we're going to continue to resist against systems that are designed to eradicate the queer and trans community."
Tsai said many in the 2SLGBTQ+ community have felt the rise in "anti-trans and anti-queer rhetoric" in Surrey with protests taking place across the city to remove SOGI from schools.
Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, or SOGI, is a set of learning resources implemented by the Ministry of Education and Child Care to promote inclusive classrooms, where human rights are discussed, along with the topics of diversity, anti-bullying, respect and discrimination.
A group of about 50 people gathered near the fountain Saturday afternoon to hear from speakers before marching around the park.
Tsai added that "all oppression is interconnected."
"For us, as much as today, we're standing for the queer and trans community, we're also standing in solidarity with other marginalized and oppressed peoples, including our local Palestinian community, especially because there's a big one here in Surrey," Tsai said.
The march is a protest and a political event.
"We're not just protesting for queer and trans community, we're also for all of the marginalized communities across the world," Tsai said.
