Advocacy Canada founder and 2SLGBTQIA+ activist Wilbur Turner says he is concerned about an event taking place in Kelowna Tuesday night.
The event was scheduled for 6:45 p.m. to 9:45 p.m., Tuesday the event is set to be hosted by the UNITY Movement and is titled ‘Leaders in Dialogue – Stand up for the Kids.’
The UNITY Movement is a local group based out of West Kelowna.
On their website it says they are ‘a collective of people endeavouring to bring unity back to our community. We provide opportunities, tools and support to help people connect with others.’
The event, which was shared on eventbrite.ca will take place at Embassy Church in Rutland and will include guest speaker Tanya Gaw.
Gaw is the founder of Action4Canada – a group that has gained notoriety during the pandemic for espousing anti-vaccine views and has campaigned against 5G technology, abortion, “political Islam,” the United Nations, legal cannabis and LGBTQ+ issues.
“Our mission is to protect Canada’s rich heritage which is founded on Judeo-Christian biblical principles,” claims the group’s website.
Turner tells Castanet the event was originally set to be hosted at the Rotary Centre for the Arts, but was cancelled.
“The event is not being held here. It was booked as a private event, with a private link to a private group that is no longer being held here,” a spokesperson at Rotary Centre for the Arts said.
Turner worries the event will feature anti-SOGI talking points.
“This event is expected to have misinformation, with transphobic language, based on the misinformation on the Action4Canada website and other events like this Gaw has spoken at.”
“Publicly funded spaces should be free from harmful anti-2SLGBTQ+ misinformation and propaganda. If parents are concerned about what their children are learning in schools they should be discussing this with their teachers, which they have every right to do,” he added.
Castanet has reached out to Embassy Church and UNITY Movement for comment.