February 26, 2025
A decision from the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in a case that Egale Canada intervened in has found that online posts calling drag performers “groomers” was hate speech, and that the posts “fostered disinformation and hate.”
The decision resulted from two cases (Rainbow Alliance Dryden et al v. Webster and Crichton et al v. Webster). In both cases, Mr. Webster made posts accusing drag performers of being “groomers”, and in the Rainbow Alliance Dryden case, these baseless allegations were also made against the local 2SLGBTQI community organization, Rainbow Alliance Dryden (RAD). Posts included screenshots of news articles about planned all-ages drag event that included the performers’ names and faces. Horrifying comments were left under the post, including violent threats against the drag performers. In response, the performers and RAD sued Webster for defamation.
Egale intervened in the cases, to provide the court with the necessary context to understand the impact of accusations of child grooming and sexual abuse against 2SLGBTQI people. The homophobic and transphobic equation of 2SLGBTQI people and allies with child abusers and pedophiles has been used to stoke fear and hatred against our communities for decades.
In a win for 2SLGBTQI communities, the court has found that Webster’s posts were defamatory, and that they were hate speech. That Webster acted as a “common bully,” and that the posts “fostered disinformation and hate.”
The court decision noted that “aggravated damages are warranted to denounce Mr. Webster’s conduct.” Webster has been ordered to pay $380,000 in damages.
This is an important decision that comes at a time when 2SLGBTQI people are facing unprecedented levels of hate, harassment, and violence fueled by the spread of misinformation and disinformation. As a previous decision in the Rainbow Alliance Dryden case found, the term “groomer” is a slur used against drag performers that is “rhetoric based on hurtful, and hateful myths and stereotypes.”
This case shows that by standing up for 2SLGBTQI rights together, we can prevent hateful myths and stereotypes from taking hold in our communities so that we can create a Canada where everyone can feel safe and thrive.
- Learn more about Rainbow Alliance Dryden et al. v. Webster and Crichton et al. v. Webster.
- Visit Egale’s Rainbow Action Hub to access resources to combat anti-2SLGBTQI hate.
Stand up for 2SLGBTQI rights by donating to support our legal advocacy.
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Representatives from Egale Canada are available for further comment on this matter. To schedule an interview please email: media@egale.ca.