Diversity Ed is responding to a social media post made by City/County Councillor Bill Dennis just days before the organization's annual PrideFest.
On Wednesday, Dennis shared a post about the state of Montana banning Drag Queen story hour, with the comment, "Good for them. I hope more states and provinces follow their lead. There is no reason why children need to see this sick trash."
The post was later edited to say, "Good for them. I hope more states and provinces follow their lead. There is no reason why children need to attend drag shows."
Diversity Ed Executive Director Crystal Fach called the post uneducated and said it spreads a hateful message about queer art.
"He's also spreading misinformation that's not up to date," Fach said.
"Coming from Bill Dennis, no (it wasn't surprising). This is not the first time a post like this has been made from his page about our community that was uninformed," they added. "But the power and the position that he has in the city to represent all constituents, that was a really dangerous post."
The Associated Press reported on October 13, 2023 that a federal judge in Montana is continuing to block enforcement of a law that puts restrictions on drag shows and bans drag reading events in public schools and libraries.
Fach believes Dennis posting content that can be hateful to others is an abuse of power.
"That's not what our politicians should be doing and I have reported posts of his in the past because of the tone of them, they're hateful, that's a hateful post, that's not something that is just an opinion, that is targeting a community," they said.
Fach said the timing of the post is also unfortunate, with a drag storytime planned this weekend as part of PrideFest.
"It really escalates the risk for our community members when posts like that are put on social media," Fach said.
Fach said the post was shared to the Diversity Ed social media pages so community members were aware.
"This is what's being spread right before our festival and we want to make sure that we have allies at our festival to support the drag storytime and young families that might be bringing their children there," Fach said. "Who knows if this is going to spark a backlash."
Fach reminds Sarnia-Lambton residents that Pride Month began with the June 1969 Stonewall Riots, and the 2SLGBTQAI+ community's fight isn't over.
"We need to be very much present, we need people out at these events showing young queer and trans people that not everybody is a Bill Dennis, that we have allies in our community that want to support us that don't believe in this hateful rhetoric they see on social media," Fach said.
PrideFest kicks off on Friday at Refined Fool with MOSAIC at 7 p.m.
It continues with a drag story and science time, and drag show Saturday, at Pride in the Park at McGibbon Park. Gates open at 12 p.m.
Diversity Ed will host its YOUphoria show at Imperial Brew House Saturday at 7 p.m.
Fach said the free events are open to the public.
"We want you to come, we want our supporters there, so this is an event open to anybody," they said.
Diversity Ed is an organization that works toward creating and maintaining a safer, inclusive and equitable environment for 2SLGBTQAI+ children, youth, adults, seniors and their families, friends and allies.
With files from Melanie Irwin