ELORA – Threatening messages and hate won't stop the Elora Distilling Company from continuing its efforts to put on drag shows.
When the distillery announced its upcoming show Jan. 28, its Facebook page became flooded with comments, ranging from calling the company "pedophiles" and "groomers," to outright calls to "bring back the firing squad" and saying "you should be shot."
"It was really nasty," Elora Distiling Company owner Marty Van Vliet said. "We had probably about over 90 nasty comments like that. It was very disconcerting."
He said police were notified about the situation, the distillery was able to report said comments to Facebook and the users sending in the comments were blocked.
But the hate speech kept coming, in the form of emails, and a Mount Forest resident called in to call Van Vliet a pedophile.
The Winters a Drag Show will be the fourth drag show held at the distillery, who is working with a local drag group to put on.
Up until now, there's never been an issue.
"It's been well supported, quite often sell out shows," Van Vliet said. "The public really enjoys the drag. It's fun."
He said he started hearing about religious right and far-right conservative groups in the United States attacking drag shows and LGBTQ+ groups, adding the behaviour started bleeding into Canada last fall, citing cancelled shows in Guelph, Hamilton and London.
Van Vliet said the religious right has been emboldened lately.
"They've started to come out, and they start to hassle organizers of these things and make their lives miserable so they end up cancelling it," he said. "Sometimes it's out of fear too."
He said police officials offered to provide officers at the event, but organizers have not committed to accept yet, opting to take a wait-and-see approach.
"If (the artists are) uncomfortable, then definitely we'll ask the police to come," Van Vliet said.
One of those artists is Karma Kameleon, who is based in Hamilton. She said the venue has been great about responding, deleting and hiding posts so people don't have to see and experience them as much.
It's nothing new for her. But at the same time, she said that's the most upsetting part of the whole thing.
"At this point, you kind of get numb to it," she said, adding the vast majority of the hate isn't localized, with many messages coming from groups organizing outside Ontario in places like Alberta and the US.
But even if it is "a lot more talk than it is action," it doesn't make it any less scary.
"Whether they protest your show or not online, it's never not terrifying," Kameleon said. "You always live with that thought about who could show up. You look at what's happened in the States in the last couple months, and it gets scary."
She said whether you're part of the queer community, drag community or not, everyone needs to start getting involved to silence the hate speech, and push social media platforms to be more responsible.
"When you report things for hate speech, Facebook, Instagram, they don't consider it hate speech cause specific slurs aren't used, and stuff like that," she said.
"I think we need to start holding government and social media more accountable for what hate speech is, and how to protect people because as soon as hate speech starts, it's like a snowball moving downhill, it just builds."
Ella Mint said she's been doing drag for about a year, and hasn't seen this level of a response for a show.
She said performers find immense joy in performing, and wants to share that passion with the audience, but when people are trying to take that away, it's upsetting.
In the end, Ella Mint said she won't be deterred.
"If anything, it's just more publicity for the show, really," she said with a laugh.
In response to this situation, provincial police Cst. Jacob Unger – a member of the Minto Pride Committee and part of the 2SLBGTQTII+ community – told GuelphToday in a statement Wellington County OPP will always work with event organizers to make sure events run so everyone feels safe.
"Any threats or threatening behaviour directed at an individual or group is always concerning to see and will not tolerated," he said via email. "The Wellington OPP strives to work with its various community partners to promote a diverse and inclusive community. Officers will be investigating the comments that were reported to police.
"Investigating online comments such as these can be challenging as often times those making the comments do not live in the community. However, there is no place for hate, and those making any types of comments such as these should be aware that any threats or harassment of a criminal nature are not acceptable by law."
He recalls a similar situation last June, when pride flags and decorations were vandalized, and a drag show in Harriston was met with derogratory messages too.
"Inspector (Steve) Thomas said then, 'There is no room for hate or intolerance in our community,'" Unger said. "That message has not changed."
Van Vliet isn't letting the hate deter him either, or create a negative image about the local community for him.
"We've been doing drag shows here for a year, the community's very supportive of us," he said.
"I'm gay, and I've had a business in Elora since 1992. It's a very great place to be, very accepting and very open. It's a lovely place to do business, and the community here is looking for different and exciting things to go and see."
He added the right-wing religious groups win by not holding the shows, and he refuses to be beaten down by them.
"Gay people have fought long and hard to have their right to be treated just like everybody else," Van Vliet said.
"We're not going to go back to the 1950s to make these people happy. It's just not going to happen. We succeed by moving forward and having the event."
Tickets are still available online for $30, and includes a beverage.
Doors open at 7 p.m., with the show starting an hour later.
