The Sept. 20 anti-SOGI rally in Kelowna brought out counter-protesters.

(GABRIELLE ADAMS / iNFOnews.ca)

Three more “1MillionMarch4Children” rallies are planned for the Thompson-Okanagan tomorrow, Oct. 21.

One is in Kelowna and the other two are in Keremeos and Princeton.

Kelowna Pride is also looking to respond and encourages everyone to “call on allies to support our community” for a counter protest but it also comes with a warning.

“Please be aware that we cannot speak to the level of safety at these events,” it says. “Be mindful of how you engage and prioritize your own safety in individual interactions above all else.”

Tomorrow’s rallies follow similar events in Kamloops, Salmon Arm, Vernon, Kelowna and Penticton on Sept. 20 that brought out counter protesters as well.

READ MORE: 'No place for hate': Anti-LGBTQ+ protesters met with vocal counter demonstrators in Kelowna, Kamloops

They are part of a growing national effort to battle SOGI (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identities) efforts in schools.

The SOGI 123 website says its aim is to help make schools “inclusive and safe for all sexual orientations and gender identities.”

The 1MillionMarch4Children movement views SOGI very differently.

“We refuse to stand by while the government and school system allow sexually explicit content and gender ideology to be distributed in our classrooms,” says a news release about the Kelowna event. “We are fighting for our children to be able to learn in a healthy school system that is free from biases and indoctrination.”

READ MORE: What SOGI 123 is – and what it isn't

There is some confusion about which rallies are actually happening in Canada. A post on the Hands off our Kids website says rallies have been cancelled in several cities, including Ottawa, for “unforeseen reasons.”

“We will be relentless and unapologetic in our role as Canada’s most powerful movement, which has swept the nation and won the hearts of all parents and children,” the website says. “Together, we are truly one nation under God.”

The 1MillionMarch4Children website lists the Keremeos (Pocket Park downtown, 11 a.m.) and Princeton (Veteran’s Square, Bridge Street and Veteran’s Boulevard, 1 p.m.) rallies but it doesn’t include any others in the Thompson-Okanagan.

The news release about the Kelowna rally says it will be at noon in Stuart Park across from City Hall.

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