Hundreds marched for trans rights in Montreal last September. Photo Andraé Lerone Lewis
Hannah Scott-Talib,
Local Journalism Initiative
Here’s what to know about the wave of anti-trans protests happening this month.
A nationwide set of annual anti-trans rights protests are set to take place on Sept. 20. Here’s what to know about this oppressive movement, and what is being done in Montreal to counter it.
What is ‘1 Million March 4 Children’?
Under the name “1 Million March 4 Children,” the anti-trans rights protests taking place throughout various Canadian cities on Sept. 20 seek to silence trans voices and prevent children from learning content within the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) curriculum in Canadian schools.
Those involved with the movement have expressed that they believe that the SOGI curriculum in Canadian schools is “adult-themed content” synonymous with sexual education classes, and is inappropriate for children to learn about. According to Montreal-based trans rights activist Celeste Trianon, this movement peaked in popularity at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic alongside the Freedom Convoy movement.
Over the years, these protests have been backed by far-right conspiracy theorists and anti-public education groups. One such group, known as “Hands Off Our Kids,” states in its mission that it “refuses to stand by while the government and school system allow sexually explicit content and gender ideology to be distributed in our classrooms,” and that it strives for a school system “free from biases and indoctrination.”
“They’ve successfully fear-mongered a lot of concerned parents,” Trianon said about these far-right groups. According to her, several of these parents are not inherently transphobic but have been pressured into believing that the SOGI curriculum is harmful to their children. However, she added that the majority of those involved with the Million March 4 Children movement are people who have “absorbed anti-trans rhetoric” and now identify with it.
How is the Montreal community fighting back?
In retaliation for this year’s 1 Million March 4 Children protest in Montreal, queer and trans rights advocates like Trianon have been spreading the word about a counter-protest also taking place on Sept. 20. Faction Anti Génocidaire et Solidaire—a queer collective focused on “denouncing Fierté Montréal’s pinkwashing” as stated on their website—is organizing this Montreal counter-protest.
Trianon said she is hopeful that the turnout for this year’s counter-protest will be better than last year’s.
“Last year with the community, the response was unfortunately not sufficient,” she said. She added that most people in attendance didn’t know what to expect, and didn’t anticipate how many people would be part of the anti-trans movement. According to her, counter-protesters were significantly outnumbered by the anti-trans rights protesters. This year, however, she believes there is more of a sense of clarity and mobilization.
“Show up if you can,” Trianon said, “and I’m speaking especially to all the people who call themselves allies.”
Attending the counter-protest on Sept. 20 is not the only way to support the queer community at large.
“[That protest] is not the only option, and I want to make that very clear,” Trianon said. “There are other ways to support queer and trans communities.”
Trianon said that an important way to provide support is to spread awareness through the sharing of knowledge on resources for the queer community. She also encouraged people to check in on trans friends and family.
“Ask them if they’re doing okay, which is very important right now. A lot of trans folks are not doing okay,” Trianon said. “Be there for them.”
“The anti-trans hate machine runs on billions of dollars,” she said. Contrarily, Trianon added that many resources and facilities for the queer community have little to no funding.
“Go support a local organization and movement if you can,” she said.
The Protect Trans Kids counter-protest will begin at 8 a.m. on Sept. 20 at 275 Notre-Dame St. E.
This article originally appeared in Volume 45, Issue 2, published September 17, 2024.
