More than 50 people were in attendance as a rainbow Pride flag was raised at 91原创 City hall for the second year in a row Monday afternoon.
It was a substantial increase from the previous year, some participants said, as much as 50 per cent more.
A few days before the event, a high-profile critic generated controversy when she complained the Pride flag was oppressive to non-gay people.
The claims made in a letter to city council by Culture Guard鈥檚 Kari Simpson produced heated commentary online, both for and against, and may have contributed to the increased turnout by supporters, a number of attendees believed.
There were four RCMP and two 91原创 City bylaw officers on hand, but no one against the flag appeared to be present.
The event was organized by Encompass Support Service Society鈥檚 program Friends of Dorothy, a LGBTQ2S+ youth group based in 91原创.
Most of 91原创 City council and some members of the 91原创 school board attended.
Deputy 91原创 City mayor Rudy Storteboom said raising the flag for a week was a way of recognizing one of the City鈥檚 various communities.
鈥淭his is not the place to be afraid, this is the place to feel included,鈥 Storteboom said.
鈥淭his is the place to be who you are.鈥
City councillors Val van den Broek, Paul Albrecht and Gayle Martin also attended, along with 91原创 school trustees Rosemary Wallace and Shelley Coburn.
Councillor Nathan Pachal, who first suggested the flag as a cost-effective alternative to a rainbow crosswalk, said he believed an 鈥渁verage person鈥 would not agree with the Simpson letter (Pachal was unable to attend).
In her letter to the city, Simpson, an opponent of the provincial sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) education curriculum, called the flag raising 鈥渢he political symbol of a divisive political campaign that panders to sex activism, bully tactics, child abuse and special rights for certain groups鈥︹
Among other things, Simpson鈥檚 letter complained about 鈥渕en who want to engage in risky sex with other men鈥 and said transgender 鈥済irls and boys (are) being allowed to surgically remove healthy body parts before they are old enough to drive or vote鈥 and suggested gay sex is causing increased cancer and STD rates.
Pachal said he completely disagrees with Simpson鈥檚 statements.
鈥淚 think it (the letter) speaks for itself鈥 Pachal told the Times.
When the idea was first discussed two years ago, Pachal said a rainbow flag for 91原创 City would send a message of acceptance and inclusion to people of colour and 鈥渟exual minorities鈥 who are often victims of discrimination and abuse.
At the time, Pachal said it was an important message in the wake of the recent violence in the U.S., in particular the massacre of patrons at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla., where 49 people were killed and 53 others wounded in what is considered a terrorist attack and a hate crime.
鈥淭o say that, as a municipality, we care for all our people, is huge,鈥 Pachal said.
In her letter to council, Simpson identified herself as a 鈥渂usiness owner with offices in the City of 91原创鈥 a few blocks away from city hall, but said she would not say exactly where because 鈥渟ex activists within 91原创 will cause all kinds of disruption and would jeopardize the safety of my workers and that of other businesses.鈥
dan.ferguson@langleytimes.com
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