Congratulations, friends! This is perhaps the first time that 1,100+ Kelowna and area residents have purposely taken a stand against all kinds of bigotry!

You joined this campaign because you, your loved ones, or others in your community face oppression. We live on the unceded territory of the Syilx peoples who have faced genocide and who ask for our friendship in self-reflection, confronting the truth, and preparing for reconciliation. Chinese slaves built the nearby Canadian Pacific Railroad. Japanese immigrants were put in internment camps in this area during World War 2. Indigenous people, women, 2SLGBTQIA+ people, all peoples of Asian heritage, people with disabilities and others have routinely been bullied, subjugated, threatened and worse here. Kelowna and the Okanagan is a hotbed for white supremacy, and Jordan Peterson's followers are surprised to see people standing up to it. We've also had and still have outright bigoted government representatives here.

Many of us have been advocating for love and inclusion in this community for a long time, and it's resulted in great things like Kelowna's official Community Safety Plan from 2022, which spells out a list of foundational values including anti-oppression, anti-racism, diversity and intersectionality.
Please read and share Chris Erickson's wonderful, eloquent case for cancelling Jordan Peterson's event based on actual Kelowna community standards:
Google Drive PDF Link - Chris Erickson's Message

I know that it is still terrifying for marginalized people here because this campaign is bringing abuse to the organizers every day, and I am speaking every day with marginalized people who are seriously concerned about abuse by Jordan Peterson supporters and worried about attending the events. I will not ask any marginalized people to show up at our protest events, but we do seek to honor them at these events with our messaging. There is room in activism for anyone's abilities, confrontational or not. If you can print and post a few posters, or share the petition or events with a few people, or even if you just start new conversations to confront these issues with people you trust, it's great. If you have advice about outreach for local communities that you can share with us, that is very much needed and appreciated. Anything you can do to help is amazing and I am proud and humbled by all those who are helping.

Lets keep this moving! I believe we are building something that is going to outlast Jordan Peterson's terrible ideas. If you are comfortable to attend the safer, May 19th City Hall protest event, it would be wonderful to see you there.
May 19th City Hall Protest Event on FB
The RCMP will be attending, and hopefully some community leaders as well.

Note: We are currently in need of a sound system, bottled water, protest leaders/helpers, and probably other things for this event. We have thought about providing an opportunity to dance and express the joy of marginalized people; to enhance their visibility in any way they are comfortable. Feel free to reach out to me by email at brent.forder@gmail.com if you can help with anything.

Each petition milestone is sending updates to the mayor and all councilors individually. If you have time to speak with any representatives / community leaders to get their involvement, that would be amazing! Thank you so much for standing with everyone involved to make Kelowna a safe place for all people!

Last but not least, let's take a deep breath... A breath of slightly fresher air. This confrontation is changing Kelowna a little. The petition has been referenced by every local news outlet now. The hate is ever more visible as we challenge it, but as this visibility is increasing, our voices are also increasing. Our power is increasing. Love, nature and grace are on our side. May all marginalized community members find our support. May all Kelowna and area residents live in peace and harmony.

Yours truly,

Brent Forder