Proposed law would set football field-sized zone around drag shows, fine 'offensive' speech up to $25,000
A civil rights attorney critical of the proposed legislation said it is 'content specific' and 'would penalize free speech and the right to protest'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A proposed provincial bill in Canada would empower Ontario's attorney general to establish 100-meter "safety zones" around drag shows and other LGBTQ events in the province that would make harassment, intimidation and "offensive remarks" punishable by fines up to $25,000.
The "Protecting 2SLGBTQI+ Communities Act," which was unveiled Tuesday during a press conference attended by drag queens, was proposed by MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam, a member of the New Democratic Party (NDP) of Ontario.
"Drag artists have faced threats and intimidation all across Ontario over the past year," Wong-Tam said, according to an Ontario NDP press release. "Businesses and 2SLGBTQI+ community members are being told that they can't be out and proud from Thunder Bay to Hamilton, to Guelph, to Stratford, to Welland, Ottawa, and even Toronto. New Democrats are giving Ford's Conservatives a chance to stop hate — today — by passing my private member's bill."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The bill would allow the attorney general of Ontario to temporarily designate locations throughout the province as "2SLGBTQI+ Community Safety Zones," and anyone guilty of "anti-2SLGBTQI+ harassment, intimidation and hate speech within 100 meters of the designated address could receive a provincial fine of up to $25,000," according to the press release.
Another portion of the bill would create an advisory committee made up lawmakers and members of the LGBTQ community to offer recommendations for preventing "anti-2SLGBTQI+ hate crimes in Ontario," the press release explained.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Wong-Tam did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment by time of publication.
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The Protecting 2SLGBTQI+ Communities Act would prohibit "anti-2SLGBTQI+ harassment, intimidation and hate speech within 100 meters" of addresses designated by Ontario's attorney general. (David McNew/Getty Images)
Allison Kindle Pejovic, a constitutional lawyer working with the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, told Fox News Digital that the bill "would penalize free speech and the right to protest, both of which are protected under Canada’s constitution."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"What is notable about this bill is that it is content-specific, targeting specific speech, while other speech and protests which may be offensive to different communities would be allowed," she said.
"It is deeply concerning that government could wield subjective terminology such as ‘transphobic, homophobic, or offensive' to target people peacefully and publicly expressing their concerns about sexualization and indiscriminate nudity before children," the attorney continued.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attends the 2016 Toronto Pride Parade on July 3, 2016. (Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
"Freedom of speech is the cornerstone of a healthy democracy. It is already a crime in Canada to engage in hate speech and criminal harassment, and the bar for those offenses is very high. This private member's bill is attempting to do the same thing, except it is only targeting a specific kind of speech, and has set the bar much lower, which could theoretically render Canadian citizens in violation of the law for speaking their views about the harms they perceive children are facing at particular events," she added.
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The proposed legislation resembles the Safe and Inclusive Access Bylaw passed last month by the City Council of Calgary, Alberta. The bylaw prohibits protests within 100 meters of a recreation facility or library entrance. The city council also modified its current public behavior bylaw to include the term "intimidation," according to the CBC.
Pastor Derek Reimer, 36, was arrested and charged last month with one count of breaching a release order that prohibited him from being within 200 meters of events involving the LGBTQ community. (Courtesy Nathaniel Pawlowski)
The new Calgary bylaw came after Pastor Derek Reimer was arrested for allegedly disrupting a drag queen story hour put on by the Calgary Public Library that featured local drag performers reading to children.
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Reimer was arrested a second time and charged for allegedly breaching a release order that prohibited him from communicating with self-identified LGBTQ people or being within 200 meters of events involving the LGBTQ community.