Ontario Pride organizers call out misinformation circulating ahead of weekend events

Pride organizers in southwestern Ontario are on heightened alert and continuing to work with police and private security firms as an image of a flyer circulates online suggesting drag queens give lap dances to children. 

"I have confirmation that people have received physical copies in their mailbox," said London, Ont., drag performer and Wortley Pride vice-president Galaxy Rose. 

"It says we are offering lap dances for children and accepting tips from children, and that is obviously untrue," Rose said. "My stomach dropped because this obviously is an attempt to deter people from attending our events."

On Saturday, Wortley Pride will host a free outdoor drag queen storytime at its Pride event.

It feels to a lot of us that we're going back in time, to a period of history that we'd rather not go back to.- Drag performer Galaxy Rose

"At least 12 [flyers] have been [collected] around the perimeter of South Secondary," Rose said. 

CBC News has not spoken to anyone who has received a physical copy of a flyer, but an image of it has been widely circulated online.

The Middlesex County library is also warning patrons of what it calls "fraudulent and defamatory information" circulating about an upcoming drag storytime at the Strathroy library. It said the event is family friendly and stresses there will be no contact and no cost.

"It feels to a lot of us that we're going back in time to a period of history that we'd rather not go back to," said Rose. 

At last year's Wortley Pride event, police charged a man following a disturbance there. Organizers say a man in a white truck continuously laid on the horn, and at some point got out from his vehicle and physically confronted people.

This year, Pride organizers like Rose said they are prepared. 

Organizers in conversations with police

"We have definitely spoken to the police," said Rose. "We have spoken to the police chief. We have spoken to our diversity officer. We even have private security.

"We have done everything in our power to ensure that Wortley Pride remains a safe space," they said.

Const. Matthew Dawson said "London police will be in attendance to ensure the event is safe and inclusive."

"Pride organizers right across the country are having an extra level of conversation with their local police enforcement, with private security, because there is this rise of hate," said AJ Adams, president and board chair of Stratford-Perth Pride. 

"These conversations that we unfortunately have to have now — it's taking away a little bit of that queer joy," said Adams.

Stratford-Perth Pride is hosting its second annual Pride event in St. Marys on Sunday afternoon and it will also feature drag storytime. Startford police said it would be monitoring the situation. 

"Drag storytime is family friendly," said Adams. "It's such a core part of the queer community."

All of the protests and misinformation have not deterred Rose from participating in "countless" drag storytime events — some of which have been protested. Rose is also a nighttime drag performer. 

They are very different events, they said.

"We gear our performances toward our audience," said Rose. "So obviously if you go to a late-night drag show, you're going to see a little bit more racy content.

"But if you go to a drag story time, we're usually dressed head to toe in very warm gowns and we are usually seated and talking in a quiet voice, reading stories about inclusivity, tolerance and compassion."