聽An LGBTQ+ advocacy group wants the City of West 乌鸦传媒 to cancel a permit for a MAGA-aligned singer and missionary to perform in August at a municipal park.聽
Advocacy Canada, based in 乌鸦传媒, says Sean Feucht should be denied permission to perform Aug. 23 in Memorial Park, next to the city swimming pool.聽
鈥淪ean Feucht has the right to his beliefs,鈥 Advocacy Canada spokesperson Wilbur Turner says. 鈥淏ut the city also has the responsibility to ensure its public spaces aren鈥檛 being used to promote ideologies that threaten the safety and dignity of marginalized groups.鈥
Previously-given permission for Feucht events was revoked last week by six jurisdictions in Atlantic and Eastern Canada. He乌鸦传媒 now in the U.S., but plans on returning to Canada for a tour of Western provinces in late August.聽
Turner says Feucht乌鸦传媒 tour has 鈥済enerated alarm across North America for its divisive rhetoric and its targeting of queer and trans communities under the guise of religious expression.鈥
For its part, the City of West 乌鸦传媒 says it is 鈥渞eviewing鈥 its previously-granted approval for Feucht乌鸦传媒 event, but has made no decision as yet.聽
鈥淪taff are reviewing the safety and security plans associated with this private booking. Due to the limited information provided by the event organizer at the time of booking and the public concerns expressed, we have increased concerns regarding public safety and the event organizer needs to meet the necessary security and safety requirements,鈥 city spokesperson Ashley Stewart said.聽
鈥淭he City of West 乌鸦传媒 is committed to fostering a community where everyone is treated with respect and dignity. Our city-led programming and events are founded on being caring, kind, respectful and welcoming to everyone. Private events held in city facilities do not reflect the views or values of the City of West 乌鸦传媒,鈥 Stewart said.聽
For his part, Feucht has condemned the revocation of previously-granted permits as evidence of discrimination against Christians.聽
鈥淎 couple crazy activists started raising up all of this ruckus across Canada and one by one all of our permits were cancelled out of safety concerns,鈥 Feucht said in a social media post, after the City of Montreal fined a church $2,500 for hosting his concert.聽
Some civil libertarians and advocates for free speech have spoken out in support of Feucht.聽
鈥淗is freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, and freedom of religion rights have all been violated,鈥 Josh Dehaas, legal counsel for the Canadian Constitution Foundation told The Canadian Press.聽
鈥淭he government doesn鈥檛 get to decide what ideas people can hear and what things people can say and how people can choose to worship, and that乌鸦传媒 what they鈥檙e trying to do in this case,鈥 Dehaas said.聽
鈥淚鈥檓 totally opposed to (Feucht乌鸦传媒) position on most political things,鈥 said James Truk of the Centre for Free Expression at Toronto Metropolitan University. 鈥淏ut in a democracy, we deal with differences through discourse, through argument, through boycotting, through ignoring, through protest. We don鈥檛 deal with it through silencing people and censoring them.鈥