CLAIM: A proposed bill in Canada would subject anyone who misgenders others or engages in anti-LGBTQ protests to prosecution and a $25,000 fine.
AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. The bill would not institute a blanket ban on misgendering and anti-LGBTQ protests. The legislation, introduced by members of the opposition party in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, would allow the province’s attorney general to temporarily prohibit people from engaging in acts of intimidation, such as threats or homophobic protests, within 100 meters (328 feet) of certain properties. Proponents say that the bill is intended to protect drag performers and LGBTQ communities from intimidation.
THE FACTS: Claims that a new bill in Canada would criminalize misgendering people and anti-LGBTQ protests have spread widely across social media platforms, predominantly Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok.
“New bill in Canada would prosecute anyone that misgendered, criticised or protested against Transgenderism,” one Twitter user wrote Wednesday in a tweet that was shared more than 6,000 times. “Anyone deemed ‘transphobic, homophobic or offensive’ would face prosecution and a $25,000 fine.”
Similarly, one widely circulating video on Facebook features the text, “CANADA JUST MADE IT ILLEGAL TO PROTEST AGAINST THE LGBT!”
But the posts are misleading. The bill would not broadly criminalize misgendering others or engaging in anti-LGBTQ protests, nor do so nationwide, as the posts falsely suggest.
The legislation, which was introduced in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario on April 4, would permit the Ontario attorney general to temporarily designate a property as a “2SLGBTQI+ community safety zone” and prohibit an “act of intimidation” — such as threats, transphobic or homophobic demonstrations, and distributing “hate propaganda” — within 100 meters of that property, according to the bill text. Violators could face a fine of up to $25,000.
The New Democratic Party of Ontario, whose members sponsored the bill, said it is a response to a rise in hate crimes and intimidation of drag artists and the LGBTQ community.
The online claims are “inaccurate and distorting,” Brenda Cossman, a law professor at the University of Toronto, wrote in an email to The Associated Press, noting that the bill does not include a broad provision concerning misgendering, and the restrictions only apply to the designated zones.
“The bill would not prosecute anyone deemed homophobic etc,” Cossman wrote. “It would only apply to individuals who seek to intimidate within the designated safety zones.”
The New Democratic Party of Ontario said in a statement provided to the AP that some have “twisted the facts” about the legislation.
“The bill will not allow for fines against people who misgender others,” the statement reads. “This legislation would not stop anyone from enjoying freedom of expression or assembly. But it would help prevent hate crimes and keep 2SLGBTQI+ Ontarians safe.”
To become law, the bill would still need to win a majority vote of the Assembly’s members, and The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario has a large majority in the provincial legislative body.
The Calgary City Council recently took similar action to respond to protests targeting LGBTQ events. In March, the council approved a bylaw prohibiting certain protests within 100 meters of entrances to libraries or recreational facilities.
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This is part of AP’s effort to address widely shared misinformation, including work with outside companies and organizations to add factual context to misleading content that is circulating online. Learn more about fact-checking at AP.
