A rainbow poppy is suddenly in the spotlight this year in Canada, in advance of Remembrance Day, and some Canadians are taking offence to it. Others say it's all just a bunch of fake news.

As the story goes, the design of the rainbow poppy was initiated by a U.K. poet, Trudy Howson, back in 2016. This year, a different take on the alternative poppy design was popping up on Etsy U.K.

A rainbow poppy to remember all those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country while being simultaneously hunted down by their country for being a homosexual.

One name for you .... Alan Turing. pic.twitter.com/HMmHP6aQIg

— Susie McCabe (@susie_mccabe) November 5, 2019

The design is meant to bring more awareness to the mistreatment of LGBTQ+ soldiers who have fought and died in combat.

This is the time we remember and honour our brave soldiers who fought for our freedom. Let us not forget the soldiers in World War 1 & 11 who, despite being criminalised for their sexuality, bravely supported their comrades and country.#queer #respect #gaypoet pic.twitter.com/1KZicHiMpl

— LGBT Poet Laureate (@lgbtpoetlaureat) November 7, 2019

Talk of the U.K. trend made its way over to Canada when a former Conservative MP candidate tweeted that her 17-year-old cousin had been suspended from her school in Stonewall, Man., for refusing to wear rainbow poppies. 

"My 17 year old cousin was suspended today... want to know why? Her choir teacher was demanding that the choir wear rainbow poppies during their performance in the Remembrance Day ceremony. She and another student rejected that idea, and both were suspended for “hate speech,” Cyara Bird said in the tweet on Tuesday. 

The school board belonging to the school in question, Stonewall Collegiate, tweeted out a statement in response. 

(1/3) Statement from the Board of Trustees of Interlake School Division (ISD) regarding recent social media coverage of the use of 'rainbow poppies': In light of misinformation which has been widely spread on social media, we will share that at no point did any staff member of

— Interlake School Division (@interlakesd) November 7, 2019

Interlake School Divison said that the school, Stonewall Collegiate, did not direct or mandate any of their students to wear a rainbow poppy.

(2/3) Stonewall Collegiate or Interlake School Division direct, nor mandate, any student to wear a 'rainbow poppy'. The Board of Trustees will not comment on matters regarding individual students so as to maintain confidentiality for those involved.

— Interlake School Division (@interlakesd) November 7, 2019

The exchange sparked outrage and confusion on social media, and even a petition asking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to 'Stop the Rainbow Poppys' started to circulate.

everyone getting pressed about a rainbow poppy lol chill no ones forcing u to wear one boomer

— shae (@shaeocean) November 7, 2019

The petition currently has over 1,000 signatures, and as it stands, the rainbow poppies aren't currently available in Canada.

@ all the homophobes who are against the rainbow poppy because “not everything is about the gays” & we “get a whole month”, please take 2 minutes out of your ignorant ass day to research Alan Turing - a gay man who held a significant role in WW2, who was later arrested and died. pic.twitter.com/VZvj6pP5J5

— mais 🥀 (@breakfastclvb) November 4, 2019

Many Canadians went on social media to defend the colourful poppies, but a number of people still were not on board.

The progressives are trying to get rid of the poppy one way or another. If it goes rainbow, it's not about remembrance of lives lost in the wars anymore.

— Mike McNulty (@MJmcnult) November 7, 2019

Some think the traditional red poppy does enough in the area of representing all soldiers. Others are in agreement that the rainbow poppy makes the poppy more universal,but others think that it should just come down to personal choice.