An LGBTQ resource for schools has been a controversial issue for civic election campaigns but supporters of the program say it’s not up for debate.

Parents, teachers and students gathered at a rally in Burnaby Sunday morning to stand up for SOGI, which stands for sexual orientation and gender identity.

Katie Marsh, the rally organizer who is also a teacher and parent, said it is important to show youth and teachers that SOGI 123 is important.

“I wish that the acceptance of LGBTQ2S+ was just a given. I wish that everybody agreed they exist and that they deserve support,” she told CTV.

“I wish that we didn’t have to hold rallies to say that the education for a couple of years is a legitimate and good thing.”

SOGI 123 has become a hot-button topic on several occasions this municipal election.

Earlier in the month, an all-candidates school board meeting in Burnaby turned into a shouting match when anti-SOGI candidates became involved in a disruption.

And just this week, Vancouver 1st posted a video on YouTube of its mayoral candidate, Fred Harding, denouncing the way SOGI 123 was rolled out, and calling on the Province to further consult with parents.  The video sparked Tony Dong, a Vancouver 1st candidate running for Vancouver City Council, to abandon his party and run as an independent.

Marsh said despite some running for political office voicing opposition to the contents of the program, or the way it was rolled out, SOGI123 isn’t going anywhere.

“It’s not something that’s up for debate,” she said. “It’s not something that is going to be stopped because there’s a vocal group of opposition. It’s a thing that we’re doing, in the same way that math is a thing that we’re doing and social studies is a thing that we’re doing.”

Several students were at the event to defend the importance of the program.

Eighth grader Chandon Sidhu from Surrey said she feels SOGI is equally important for those who identify as LGBTQ and those who do not.

“It’s easier to understand what they’re going through and to encourage them and help them along the way,” she explained.

 “I know that back in my mom’s generation, no one ever learned about it and therefore coming out was a lot harder. But when you learn about it and you realize you’re not alone, it is a lot easier to come out.”

Her 12-year-old brother, Jagger, said before SOGI 123, “a lot of kids in my school used [to tease others] ‘oh, you’re gay’…but now not so many people are doing it.”

The school resource, which was rolled out by the province in late 2016, encourages openness and respect for everyone in the classroom, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

With files from CTV Vancouver’s David Molko