Several 2SLGBTQIA+ events in the community were cancelled after Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) warned about possible threats planned to target local queer events.
KW Gays and Theys, organizers of a Beers with Queers event, made the decision to cancel their event at Together We’re Bitter (TWB) Co-Operative Brewing on Oct. 21.
Amanda Farquhar, manager and worker-owner at TWB Co-operative Brewing, said the brewery was first approached by WRPS on Monday, Oct. 20.
Farquhar said the police told TWB they were aware of a disruption planned at a local queer event, though they were unsure which one.
“It sounded like the intent was to potentially cause violence. The police planned to have patrols in the neighbourhood so that if something did happen, they could show up immediately,” Farquhar said.
“We received an anonymous tip that was immediately forwarded to our Major Events Unit and Criminal Intelligence Unit. Members of the Hate Crime and Extremism Investigative Team (HCEIT) were also involved in supporting the investigation,” Cherri Greeno, director of corporate affairs at WRPS, said in a statement.
“The tip did not include information about a specific event or individual. However, our investigators were able to identify three separate events that were being held and contacted the organizations to relay the information and to conduct safety planning,” the statement continued.
Similarly, Suzie Taka, executive director at Spectrum, said she received the same information from WRPS on the same day.
“I was able to find out that this was a generalized threat against any program or event for the queer and trans community happening on Tuesday night,” Taka said.
Taka made the decision to move all programming online in order to maintain the safety of all staff and participants.
Later in the week, Spectrum continued to hold programming in person with extra support in place.
“Violence and threats like this, while this one is very public, they are not uncommon and they are most profoundly felt and experienced by Black and Indigenous and racialized members of the queer and trans community,” Taka said.
“Our core programming is peer support groups, and they’re critical. They truly, literally save people’s lives,” Taka said.
Similarly, TWB hosted a different queer event called Lavender Fizz later in the week. While Farquhar said the brewery had a safety plan in motion with extra worker-owners on site for support, the event ran smoothly without any concerns.
“Continuing to run inclusive events is important because such a proliferation of hate right now, and if we bow down to that hate and hide these types of events or stop holding them, then, essentially, the group that doesn’t want them to happen has won,” Farquhar said.
“Having positive, joyful, uplifting events in the community that create connection and and build community are just really important.”
Moving forward, Taka said she is working with WRPS to debrief the situation, how it was handled and how to better inform the community moving forward.
“I think a lot of things went wrong with how the community was notified and who the burden of safety fell on,” Taka said.
The following week, Spectrum hosted a a Pop-Up Pride Dance Party in Waterloo Town Square where hundreds came out to participate.
The event was held in response to the previous week’s threats and to bring the community together amidst fear.
“Queer and trans people [have] always existed. We’ve always existed, and we always will, and it’s always been society that’s been the issue,” Taka said.
“For us, it’s demystifying that and it’s education and it’s being a space for people to actually feel connected and to know that they are not alone.”
Contributed Photo/Alexandra Giovanatto
This article was cross published in The Community Edition.
