An unusual alliance was formed between Muslims and far-right, conservative Christians in Canada, where they protested against “gender ideology” and attacked a local school board in Ottawa after providing support for LGBTQIA+ students.
Moms force kids to stomp on rainbow flags in horrifying protest against their LGBTQ+ classmates
THIS IS HOW AND WHERE INDOCTRINATION HAPPENS
THE TEACHING OF HATE, LIES AND BIGOTRYhttps://t.co/0cADt7BaTg— RWLatstetter #INDEPENDENT (@latstetter) June 12, 2023
The protests were caused by a directive that the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board released to its staff. The notice advised using they/them pronouns for students until they express their preferred pronouns.
The all-staff directive of the school board inspired demonstrations and coverage from Canadian far-right personalities, particularly Keean Bexte of the far-right news site The Counter Signal and Chris Elston, a notorious far-right provocateur known for his moniker “Billboard Chris” after a 2020 stunt where he paid for a billboard that said “I ❤️ JK Rowling,” then wearing the message on a sandwich board at protests after the billboard was taken down for being a “hateful expression.”
Inshallah my brothers and sisters!
The children of Abraham protect our children from Satan.— Steven Hill (@ImSteveHill) June 9, 2023
A video of the Muslim and conservative Christians protest was shared online, where Muslim women and other demonstrators encouraged young children to stomp on the Pride flags strewn on the ground. As the kids danced on the flags, an older white man was seen holding a large Canadian flag, leaning down to shake a kid’s hand in solidarity and saying, “Right on, boys!”
Chants like “Leave our kids alone!” were also heard up and down the street where the protest took place, which was also home to two high schools and an elementary school.
Keean Bexte posted the video of the protest on Twitter, adding that “all of these proponents of childhood mastectomies and penectomies are officially on notice. The minority communities that have propped up your governments have finally had enough.”
"LEAVE OUR KIDS ALONE" - Muslims and Christians unite on the streets of Ottawa, trampling the Gender Ideology Flag. This is a turning point. Let kids be kids. pic.twitter.com/ATvXfzMPao
— Keean Bexte (@TheRealKeean) June 9, 2023
Contrary to Bexte’s claims, it’s not common for trans kids to get mastectomies or penectomies before age 18, and genital surgery is not performed on trans minors.
The anti-LGBTQIA+ protest was then met by a counter-demonstration, where hundreds showed up to counter the alliance and defend the rights of LGBTQIA+ kids from what they see as “transphobic, fascist ideology.” Isolated acts of violence were reported, and Canadian police made five arrests during the protests without providing more information on the incidents.
Emily Quail, an organizer and a mother of a child studying at one of the nearby schools, said the demonstration against the right-wing alliance “fills my heart.”
“We will not let them spread their transphobic, fascist ideology anywhere, here or anywhere else, and that starts with community strength, and that’s what I’m really proud to see today,” Quail added.
A very concerning display of hate.
— logicallyspeaking66 (@logicallyspea13) June 9, 2023
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board also condemned Billboard Chris for staging the demonstrations in front of schools.
“It really raises doubts about a group that, I think it goes without saying, but it’s a group that is literally targeting children,” Alex Silas, a school district official, said regarding the incident.
