South Asian gay group Sher Vancouver came to the defence of NDP MLA Rachna Singh after she was hit with a recall campaign by groups, including a large number of South Asians - Muslim and Sikhs – who oppose what they call “Woke Agenda” that is forcing young school students to confront inappropriate sexual material in BC classrooms. Sher said in a press release that they can no longer stand idly by as “we see the misinformation, outright lies, bullying, harassment, and queerphobia occurring under the recall campaign against Minister of Education and MLA for Surrey Green-Timbers Rachna Singh.”

By PD Raj – Senior Reporter DESIBUZZCanada

SURREY – South Asian gay group Sher Vancouver came to the defence of NDP MLA Rachna Singh after she was hit with a recall campaign by groups, including a large number of South Asians - Muslim and Sikhs – who oppose what they call “Woke Agenda” that is forcing young school students to confront inappropriate sexual material in BC classrooms.

Sher said in a press release that they can no longer stand idly by as “we see the misinformation, outright lies, bullying, harassment, and queerphobia occurring under the recall campaign against Minister of Education and MLA for Surrey Green-Timbers Rachna Singh.”

"We stand by the right of any citizen to launch a recall campaign but always within reasonable limits as defined by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The continued use of defamatory language, the use of slander, and libel in materials provided, and across media, raise grave concerns as to the nature of this recall to begin with. Democracy cannot be distorted and weaponized against 2SLGBTQIA+ people to deny them their human rights," states Sher Vancouver Founder Alex Sangha.

"The BC education system has made great strides in including all voices, all students, and instead of perpetuating harm, the education system is ensuring human rights are of foremost importance. What are parents of queer kids going to do if their children are facing constant in person and online bullying and being denied their rights to their identities? Having to face a barrage of unsafe spaces because some folks simply lack understanding or refuse to acknowledge any other opinion other than their own?  We all have a gender identity, we all have a sexual orientation, we have no right to deny anyone's gender or identity. The only ideology present in this recall campaign is one of homophobia and transphobia to erase the existence of queer human beings," states Sher Vancouver Board Member Annie Ohana.

Sher Vancouver said it stands by our educators and our education system.  With this being said we have filed a formal complaint with Elections BC with the specific concerns and evidence we have of a recall campaign that continues to engage in hate, and vitriol.   There is a way to raise legitimate concerns with our elected representatives, this recall campaign against the Hon. Rachna Singh violates the BC Human Rights Code in our view.

But anti-SOGI groups say they also have democratic rights to oppose what they feel is unnecessarily forcing young children to be exposed to explicit sexual material that has no place in the classrooms.