What is fuelling Calgary drag protests?

Several all-age drag events have been the target of protesters in Calgary, with small groups gathering to voice anti-2SLGBTQ+ sentiments.

Some of the individuals at the demonstrations are the same ones who were at protests against COVID-19 health restrictions, and there may be a reason for that shift, says one anti-hate expert.

“It’s definitely part of what we understand to be an arc of far-right populism that we’ve seen really thriving over the last few years, particularly through the pandemic and that is very much fuelled by a rise in conspiracy theory belief,” explained Hazel Woodrow with the Canadian Anti-Hate Network.

She says the recent hate-motivated crime charge against a pastor who disrupted a Calgary drag reading event is promising. However, they are more interested in focusing on the efficacy of community defense.

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“In a lot of these instances of people protesting against drag story times across Canada, the most effective way of confronting that has been through a community defense as opposed to a policing solution,” Woodrow said.

The rhetoric against all-age drag shows has created a movement among the 2SLGBTQ+ community. Counter-protestors have shown up to rally and voice their support for the events, in many cases far outnumbering the anti-drag protesters.

“And I think the current example is a perfect example of how that emerges. You know, the community is under attack and the community is facing this hatred and this division and so the community then comes together to defend themselves,” explained Roberta Lexier, a professor at Mount Royal University.

Calgarians rally in front of the Rec Room in support of the 2SLGBTQ+ community and all ages drag show in January 2023. (CityNews photo)

While the protests have targeted all-age drag events, a queer nightclub in Calgary has reported that it has received a phone call threatening to burn the business down if “you come near my kids.”

“The LGBTQ+ community is always on the front lines of this kind of hatred and division and so the first way to kind of target them is through this rhetoric of grooming children. But the cause is bigger than that, this group, this right-wing group wants to sew division and so children aren’t going to be the last of it, so it’s a convenient starting point,” added Lexier.

Protesters of drag events have, in many cases, accused organizers of sexualizing children, despite there not being any sexual content involved in such events. Many of these comments are based on a misconception that drag is a sexual act.