'I’ve gotten 60 so far': Ottawa woman targets anti-trans stickers in ByWard Market
In Ottawa’s ByWard Market, cryptic messages are showing up; posted on poles and garbage bins.
They are signs with anti-trans messages, and Charlotte Helen Robertson is making it her mission to tear them down.
"Since this past Saturday walking home, I’ve now pulled down, I believe it’s 60 so far," Robertson, who lives in the market, said.
A trans-woman, Robertson says she has noticed the signs appearing in the downtown for more than a year now, but the frequency, and the messages themselves, have changed since the announcement of the upcoming election.
"A lot of these stickers explicitly reference elections; they’ve really started putting them up a lot more," Robertson said.
Some display messages that read, "If you don’t respect my sex, don’t expect my ex," with the title "Canada Election 2021."
Others call to "keep prisons single sex", while some simply read, “Woman. Noun. Adult human female.”
Although some messages may appear subtle or subversive, Robertson says the signs are clear dog whistles.
“It’s coded in such a way that it’s not very visible to people who don’t necessarily know about the issues,” Robertson said.
"We need to be aware of the dog-whistles that are being used by the people who are organizing these campaigns and attacking these demographics," she added.
Advocates say the hateful message behind the stickers is clear.
"It sends a message to every trans person who sees that that there are folks in this city who just don’t want them to be here, that feel like our presence in public space should be contested," Fae Johnstone, Executive Director of Wisdom2Action said.
It’s unclear who is putting up the stickers in the ByWard Market. CTV News reached out to one company whose website is listed on some of the stickers and is selling them on their website, but did not receive a response.
Advocates say the increase in anti-trans signage is concerning, particularly as anti-trans rhetoric is on the rise in the United States and the United Kingdom. Johnstone says there are fears similar anti-trans movements could become more vocal in Canada.
"They look at what’s happening in the U.S., they look at what’s happening in the U.K. and they say, 'Oh that looked like it succeeded, let’s bring that here too,'" Johnstone says.
The Ontario NDP says it has already received backlash over a promise to fund transition drugs and make gender-affirming surgeries more accessible.
"There has been a vocal pushback from, like I said, that growing anti-LGBTQ movement in the Anglosphere about how the LGBTQ community is attacking kids and we saw very similar arguments 30 years ago when gay rights were coming to the front," Ottawa-Vanier NDP candidate Lyra Evans said.
In a statement, Ottawa Police say they’ve not had any complaints about the signage, but are encouraging any witnesses to contact them.
"Marriage equality didn’t end homophobia, trans-rights didn’t get rid of transphobia. We need all of our governments, all of non-profits, all of our policymakers to wake up to the crisis happening in communities today," Johnstone said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trudeau acknowledges charges in Nijjar killing, calls for commitment to democracy
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has acknowledged the charges laid Friday in relation to the murder of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
Princess Anne lays wreath at B.C. veteran's cemetery; receives 21-gun salute
Princess Anne paid tribute to veterans buried at a cemetery in British Columbia today, laying a wreath to honour the more than 2,500 military personnel and family members buried there.
Mystik Dan wins the 150th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in a three-horse photo finish
Mystik Dan won the 150th Kentucky Derby in a photo finish, edging out Forever Young and Sierra Leone for the upset victory.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
London Drugs begins 'gradual reopening' on 7th day after cyberattack
Almost a week after all London Drugs stores across Western Canada abruptly closed amid a cyberattack, they began a "gradual reopening" on Saturday.