On Saturday, April 29th a Drag Queen Story Time (DQST) event at the Fort York Public Library in Toronto was targeted by a hate group called Save Canada. DQST events are family events centred on inclusion, acceptance and the fun of dressing up.
Unfortunately, 2SLGBTQIA+ people still face violence and exclusion which these hate groups hope to extend. At the Fort York Library, people showed up to harass the attendees. Included in their ranks were hard-core fascists, Nazis and other elements of the far right who aggressively provoked people in an attempt to start a fight. Thankfully, they were unsuccessful – but we need to be prepared for future attempts by these far-right forces to spread their hate.
Toronto East Anti-hate Mobilization (TEAM) is a grassroots group made up of local faith members (including members of the DJC), trade unionists, social justice activists, community organizations and residents. We believe our strength lies in mobilizing large enough numbers to prevent these dangerous forces from growing.
We don’t yet know of credible threats to upcoming DQST events, but should such threats emerge, we are looking for concerned individuals who may be interested in joining us at some of the upcoming DQST events, held at various local libraries.
If you would like to be notified if we hear of any threats to DQST events, please email TEAM at torontoeastnohate@gmail.com.