An Ontario MPP who uses they/them pronouns has called for fines of up to $25,000 for anyone who “intimidates” LGBT folks within 100 metres of designated “community safety zones.”
Kristyn Wong-Tam, a New Democrat Party MPP proposed the Bill in the Ontario legislature on Tuesday.
Wong-Tam titled her Bill the ‘An Act to enact 2SLGBTQI+ Communities Safety Zones Act 2023’.
“A nonbinary, a wizard, a witch, two drag queens, two maskers, an AWFL, a child, a disabled minority, and a cis white male just introduced legislation to make ‘offensive remarks’ near drag shows a violation of Canadian law,” tweeted Christopher Rufo, a US writer who opposes Critical Race Theory.
Wong-Tam’s Bill echoes what was recently passed by Calgary’s City Councillors. Calgary’s Mayor Gondek had promised to do something about what she called were “hateful” Drag-Queen Story Hour protesters.
Subsequently, Calgary’s City Council proposed a bylaw that called to fine “specified” protesters who “intimidate,” which was a reference to drag-queen story hour protesters, or, more generally, those who believe “trans-rights” have usurped women’s rights and children’s rights.
Most politicians have stayed away from the controversial issue of drag-related events mixing with children. However, last month Alberta’s Premier Danielle Smith said she respects the right to peaceful protests, and she also respects the drag-queen story events as long as they’re “age appropriate.”
“Any event where children are present should be age appropriate,” Smith said.
“My understanding of the reading time events like the one in Calgary is that they are kept age appropriate, and minors attending them have the consent of their parents.”
