NORTHERN ONTARIO
Northern Ontario

    • Northern Ont. drag queen talks candidly about hate and threats received

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    **Warning: Some details contain violence and may be disturbing to some readers.

    It is Pride Week in Sudbury, Ont., and some members of the local queer community are opening up about living with hostility and death threats being directed at them.

    While Pride is designed to celebrate queer joy, it’s also about educating people about the challenges the 2SLGBTQ community faces, including hate and threats.

    Drag queen Stacy Woods was a guest speaker at the proclamation and flag-raising at city hall on Monday.

    Behind the attire is 32-year-old Garrett Carr, who said he came out as a gay man at the age of 16 and now identifies as non-binary.

    "The main point was basically that, yes, I am scared. Yes, the community is afraid and, yes, some of us are angry but that is not going to make us go back into the closet," Carr said.

    "We are not going to go back into the shadows."

    Sudbury MPP Jamie West was at the flag-raising and spoke about hearing from Woods.

    "I thought that Stacy’s speech was incredibly powerful because you always see her as larger than life and the fact that feeling unsafe in our community isn’t something that any one of us accept," West said.

    "We want people to stay safe, we want people to feel proud no matter what kind of background they come from or how they represent themselves or show themselves in life."

    Carr is encouraging people to check on friends in the queer community.

    "We are going through a lot," they said.

    "There is a lot happening that we might not even be talking about because we don’t know who is safe to talk to anymore."

    Garrett Carr, a Sudbury, Ont., drag queen, opens up about hate and threats received online. July 12, 2024 (Alana Everson/CTV Northern Ontario)

    While several strides have been made in progressing pride, hate is still rampant, Carr added.

    "More recently, the hate online has increased to the point of me and my friends getting death threats and threats of physical harm and just so much hate," said Carr.

    Police are investigating a death threat that was received on social media this week.

    The hate message was also laced with profanity and slurs.

    Part of the message said: "Someone should take you into the woods and put a bullet between your eyes, maybe I just might take a drive to Sudbury and …"

    Social media message sent to a Sudbury drag queen containing profanity and threats. (Stacy Woods)

    You are not alone

    If you or someone you know are in need of help or are in crisis, resources are available.

    • It Gets Better Canada
    • LGBT Youthline call 1-800-268-9688 or text 647-694-4275
    • Kids Help Phone Call 1-800-668-6868 or text 686868
    • Trans Lifeline 1-877-330-6366
    • Pflag Canada 1-88-530-6777 or email info@pflagcanada.ca
    • In an emergency, call 911.
    • Report hate and bias-motivated crimes and incidents to Sudbury police

    Background

    Pride Month is currently celebrated each year in the month of June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan. Pride Season is a term that refers to the wide range of Pride events that take place over the summer (June to September) when 2SLGBTQI+ communities and allies come together to spotlight the resilience, celebrate the talent, and recognize the contributions of 2SLGBTQI+ communities. Pride month in Canada is held in June, but communities across the country hold events at various times throughout the year.

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