Many Calgarians are frustrated after two chinook blast Events were postponed due to security concerns due to anti-LGBTQ2S+ protests.
Two performances — Drag on Ice and DJ Geesnax — were scheduled to take place on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, respectively, as part of the Chinook Blast festivities at Olympic Plaza.
drag on ice The two-hour performance of drag entertainment and games featured drag kings and queens trading in their sky-high heels for skates as our performers served up some frozen fierceness.
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When the organizers became aware of the protests, they decided to merge the two events and hold them on a Saturday instead.
The festival announced on Thursday that both shows have been postponed due to unforeseen circumstances.
and friday night Chinook blast announced It was removing much of its scheduled programming at the venue “in light of ongoing security concerns regarding protests scheduled to take place at Olympic Plaza on Saturday afternoon”.
Local drag queen Carla Marks, who performed at Drag on Ice in Calgary, said she was “very disappointed” because so many people wanted to see the event this weekend.
“Most people didn’t want to see the incident or didn’t care. It’s a very vocal, very small minority that had a grievance,” Marks told Global News.
“We had to put safety first and given the unique features of this site, there was no way we could ensure that people could visit safely.”
Marks said she wants to protect queer and trans youth who are attending LGBTQ-friendly events for the first time.
There was no way to guarantee everyone’s safety because the Olympic Plaza is a very accessible public space. The decision to postpone the event was taken after consultation with Mayor Jyoti Gondek, the City of Calgary and the Calgary Police Service.
“I refuse to have a situation where a seven-year-old child is in the audience and hate is spread in their place,” she said.
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Cal Gibbens, otherwise known onstage as DJ Gaysnakes, is furious — especially as a new artist in the LGBTQ2S+ community.
However, he is not surprised that the group was planning to protest the event.
“It makes me angry that this is something we still have to deal with, especially the younger generations,” Gibbens said.
“I think there is a gradual rising of anger and reactive presence as some things return to normal.
“I think people are afraid of change and losing control when there is nothing to be afraid of.”
In response to news about the protest, Gondek said he is disappointed Chinook Blast has decided to cancel the Drag on Ice event.
Gondek said in a tweet on Friday morning that while she respected the decision, the protests were “rooted in spreading hate and fear.”
She said the city would use its street harassment bylaw to fine those who “openly communicate hateful messages.”
“What you don’t have the right to do is use hateful language in a public place that makes people feel unwanted and unsafe,” Gondek told reporters during a press conference on Friday afternoon.
“That’s not a win. Shutting down events that boost our economy, shutting down things that people enjoy…that’s not a win.”
“The organizers of Chinook Blast have been absolute winners. He’s taken the time to talk to the cast… I hope we don’t have to make such a difficult decision again.”
The Calgary Downtown Association also said it was disappointed with the change in programming and the postponement of Drag on Ice.
The association’s executive director, Mark Garner, said the city’s downtown should be safe and inclusive for all.
He told Global News, “One change at this point is it looks like we’re going a little bit backwards.”
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The Calgary events are the latest in a series of drag acts to be canceled in recent weeks.
In three different Canadian cities over a weekend in late January, small protests took place in front of libraries and restaurants where drag events were to take place.
Some of those protesters held signs that appeared to perpetuate homophobic tropes, alleging that those in the drag community were “grooming” children for sexual abuse.
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Marks said the postponement doesn’t mean the notion that LGBTQ2S+ people and drag queens are being shunned.
“We have to deal with the reality of the situation, say it has escalated to the point where it has to be taken seriously… This hatred is on the rise,” she said.
– Rachel Gilmore and Adam Toye, with files from Global News
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