The Calgary police said they have not seen increased threats to Calgary’s LGBTQ2S+ community, following reports that Canada’s primary intelligence agency CSIS warned that violent anti-gender rhetoric is likely to lead to violence nationally.
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation first reported on an Integrated Terrorism Assessment Centre (ITAC) report, obtained through an access to information request, that outlined violence towards the LGBTQ2S+ community is likely to continue through 2024.
The Calgary Police Service, on Feb. 15, said that they haven’t seen specific threats in Calgary in response to questions posed of the service by LiveWire Calgary.
“At this time, as part of our regular operations and intelligence gathering, the CPS has not seen an increased threat against the 2SLBTQI+ community here in Calgary,” said CPS.
“Our Major Events and Emergency Management Section, Hate Crime Prevention Team, Diversity Resource Team and Community Mobilizers work together to ensure we are aware of upcoming events, have offered appropriate supports and resources and are relaying information back to the community when we determine the need to do so.”
The service said that they are also aware that hate-motivated crimes and incidents are underreported, and that they are encouraging Calgarians who are a victim of, or have been witness to a hate crime, to report those incidents to police.
Anti-LGBTQ2S+ protests hit nationally with the so-called “1 million march for children” in September of 2023, which drew thousands of protesters and counter-protesters to dozens of demonstrations in Canadian cities.
Individuals in Calgary protested against the inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) being taught in Alberta’s curriculum. SOGI is not a part of the Alberta school curriculum, and the province requires parents to be notified before lessons on human sexuality are taught.
In recent weeks, the number of Calgary anti-LGBTQ2S+ protesters attending protests or engaging in counter-protests has been small.
At a recent rally against the province’s plans for transgender children in Alberta, the number of counter-protesters including the organizer for the Calgary “1 million march for children,” was three.
Violence may be inspired by other attacks said CSIS
In a statement made by CSIS, regarding the ITAC report, the agency cited that violent actors may be inspired by attacks like the one that occurred at the University of Waterloo in 2023.
In that attack, a 24-year-old international student from Ecuador was accused of stabbing two students and a professor in a gender studies class.
“CSIS assesses that the violent threat posed by the anti-gender movement is almost certain to continue over the coming year and that violent actors may be inspired by the University of Waterloo attack to carry out their own extreme violence against the 2SLGBTQI+ community or against other targets they view as representing the gender ideology ‘agenda,'” said CSIS in that statement.
“While violent rhetoric itself does not equate or often lead to violence, the ecosystem of violent rhetoric within the anti-gender movement, compounded with other extreme worldviews, can lead to serious violence.”
According to data collected by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data project, a registered non-profit located in the United States that tracks conflict globally, the Waterloo attack was the only tracked violence specifically targeting civilians in Canada from 2020 through to February 2024 related to LGBTQ2S+ and gender.
Across North America, including the United States, Mexico, and Canada, there were 75 reported attacks against civilians related to LGBTQ2S+ and gender.
A total of 67 people were reported to have been killed in those attacks.
