Pro- and anti-SOGI rallies held in B.C. and across the country

Coquitlam, B.C. -

Dozens of police officers could be seen on street corners and in parks throughout the province on Saturday, as hundreds of people rallied for and against sexual orientation and gender identity education in B.C. schools.

Organizers of 1 Million March 4 Children, a group that wants SOGI topics eliminated from school curriculums, called on its supporters rally across Canada.

They turned out in large numbers, and so did supporters of the program.

Similar events in the summer were confrontational at times, and police were charged with keeping the peace.

For the most part, they didn’t need to intervene on Saturday.

“Certainly, conversations around queerness and trans-ness has changed so quickly, and I understand that people are afraid of that change,” said SOGI-supporter Karly Pinch, who was at the gathering in Coquitlam.

“But this is the way that our world is moving, in a way of diversity and inclusion, and I can't see how that's a bad thing,” she said.

Opponents of the program told CTV News they are misunderstood.

They acknowledged that people think they are homophobic and transphobic, but insisted that's not the case.

“I have friends that come to my house, they're a family of two moms and two daughters. Beautiful. Their kids play with my kids,” said Toktam Rouhani.

But she believes children are too young to learn about sexual orientation and gender identity in school.

“Our concern is the proper age for kids to be exposed to sexuality,” she said. “They get oversaturated with it and bombardment with information.”

Similar events were held in Montreal, Winnipeg, Kelowna, Abbotsford and elsewhere.