A local youth advocate for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community is urging Grande Prairie’s municipal leaders not to stay silent on what they believe is a recent rise in hate.
After the 1 Million March for Children protest sparked counter-protests across the nation, 17-year-old Peace Country Progressive Alliance representative Sam Ellwood took the opportunity to express her concerns to Grande Prairie city council on Monday. She calls what she believes silence on the matter “unacceptable.”
Citing a recent post made by Grande Prairie Mayor Jackie Clayton where she asked protesters to follow laws, remain respectful, and “not spread hate,” while saying the “Community is of great diversity,” and that “makes Grande Prairie strong.” Ellwood asked the Mayor and council directly to take immediate action rather than address 2SLGBTQIA+ concerns after the fact.
However, following her delegation in council chambers, Ellwood suggested the concerns she raised may not have been received as intended.
“I feel like they heard my critique and it just went straight over their heads,” Ellwood says. “Mayor Clayton’s statement about how they support the community felt like it was not answering any of my concerns.”
During the local protest on September 20th, local organizer Dione Martin said they were fighting multiple levels of government for wanting to implement Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity programming. She added they are looking for parents to have more of a say in what is taught in classrooms.
“We just want them to teach math, science, arithmetic and leave the kids alone with all the other programming,” Martin said at the protest.
As a result, Ellwood called on the mayor and council to address her concerns and take a stronger stance against protests related to 2SLGBTQIA+ issues.
“I believe that if someone like Mayor Clayton were to speak against the 1 Million March, it could make her supporters think that there may be something wrong with it,” she said at the protest.
City council received the presentation for information and did not question Ellwood or her colleagues any further on the matter.
