As Pride Month draws to a close, one Stratford organizer is hoping the message of acceptance will continue beyond June, after horrific online backlash this Spring to their youth playgroup.
The Rainbow Kids playgroup was started this year for kids that are gender-diverse or gender-creative.
The organizer, who asked that her name not be used, has a child that falls into the non-binary category, which they said displayed at a very young age, rejecting expected gender roles and stereotypes as early as preschool.
"It was fine and we let them explore that and express that and supported that," they said.
By the time the child was four, they could communicate that they didn't match their gender. Realizing that their were few spaces for a gender-creative child that age, the organizer set out to set up a playgroup for elementary school aged kids.
"One they get into Grade 7 and 8, most schools have a Rainbow Club or some other support group," they said. "But at that age, there's not much."
They said not only would it bring the kids together to play in a safe space, but it gave parents some support as well, so they could share their experiences with families in the same situation.
At first, the organizer put the word out through groups like Stratford Pride. The group met at a local school with a very small attendance the first time.
However, just the second gathering ever had to be moved, after the post was shared by a public page.
"When we hosted at the school, the library was like 'can we share it on our page?' They had done drag story times so they said they've had not very much pushback on the story times, but there has been a little bit," said the organizer. "What they do is just post a couple of days before so there's not a lot of time for push back. But when they shared it, it got picked up by a Facebook group in Stratford and it got really ugly, really fast."
Before long, the post was inundated with threatening comments, homophobic and transphobic language and libelous accusations. Some even said they'd rally outside the school to prevent it.
Just like that, the event for young kids planned at a local school had to be moved for safety, prompting a statement from the Avon Maitland District School Board condemning the hate-filled comments.
"People just really associate gender with sexuality, and this has nothing to do with that," said the organizer. "The comments from people were like 'They're teaching kids to have sex' and stuff like that and oh my goodness, that couldn't be further from the truth! We do arts and crafts and play sports... it's for gender-creative kids, gender-diverse kids. It's not for people who identify as gay or lesbian or things like that. It really is about how these kids feel about themselves in their hearts, not what's in their pants."
The organizer added the response was particularly heart-breaking because it came so close to Trans Visibility Day, and because of the response of some, their little group has had to have a less visible approach since then.
However, they did note they were thankful to the many members of the community who pushed back on the hateful responses and voiced their support. The library was also supportive, offering their space when the school was no longer an option.
The group still does meet once a month, but after that response, they're careful about where they share posts. They also alert Stratford Police when and where they are meeting — the organizer laughed that for those who threatened to call the police on them, authorities are well aware and supportive of the group.
The organizer says there's been a few kids come out over the past few months, but with limited ways to get the word out, growth has stagnated.
"I do think it's so important for kids to not feel alone, not feel like they're the only one that's different or weird or whatever else," they said. "It is different, but there's other people who are different in similar ways, so you're not alone. I think it's just, I know that it's made a big difference in my own kid."
Anyone who is interested in learning more about the group can contact them by email.
- The organizer has been granted anonymity in order to share their story.
