She was detained for trespassing and “swearing in a public place.”
QUICK FACTS:
- A woman was arrested for protesting a Church drag event in Ontario, Canada after police accused her of trespassing and “swearing in a public place.”
- “We’re stating our point of view,” the protestor said. “We are on public property,” another man added when being confronted by police.
- The officers eventually detained the woman, saying, “You’re under arrest for causing a public disturbance. You’re swearing and yelling in a public place.”
- The drag event was held by the group Muskoka Pride, which sponsored a similar event last year.
- “We encourage people to bring some tips for the drag queens. These are people who are volunteering their time because they enjoy it so it’s always great to tip the performers so they understand how much you enjoy it,” Shawn Forth of Muskoka Pride said. “It’s gay male performers. Over the top. Make-up, costumes like you wouldn’t believe and because it’s the theme of Halloween the costumes are going to be that much more.”
THE PROTESTER’S STATEMENTS:
- “I’m protesting grown adults who want to dress in lingerie and dance around children! We have a whole country, a whole nation filled with children who do not know whether they are boys or girls because of activities like this and it is up to us adults to stand up and to protect these children,” the woman said when law enforcement spoke to her.
- “To stand on their side in front of them is morally wrong. It is wrong and for them to hold it in a church is wrong,” she went on to say.
- After police began to take action against the demonstrators, several members of the group voiced opinions about what the police seemed to be supporting. The woman arrested said, “You’re going to protect the child predators. Great job. You’re supposed to protect the children, not feed them to the sick and mentally disabled!”
BACKGROUND:
- Demonstrators frustrated with drag shows have had negative interactions with pro-LGBTQ groups on multiple occasions, including in Oregon last month, when more than 300 dissenters threw rocks and smoke grenades at each other.
- Three people were arrested in Boston earlier this year when a group of masked individuals clashed with other agitators outside a “drag queen storytime” event for kids.
- In North Carolina, a drag event was disrupted when a group that was reported as being part of the Proud Boys, stood up against a fundraising event on Oct 30th. The local Fox affiliate reported that the drag event protesters “came to fight,” though police were called and there was no report of an arrest being made.
