The Calgary man who is being charged with a hate crime for interrupting a storytime at the Seton public library refuses to sign release conditions that tell him to stay away from LGBTQ2S+ people and their events.
Under the City of Calgary’s public behavior bylaw, 36-year-old Derek Reimer is being charged with criminal mischief, causing a disturbance, and six counts of harassment.
Reimer is accused of shouting homophobic and transphobic insults at kids and parents at a Reading with Royalty event on February 25.
The family-friendly storytimes at public libraries are led by local drag queens or kings, and kids are encouraged to dress up in their best outfit, cape, or crown.
Reimer says that the requirements are “impossible to meet.
After being arrested last week, Reimer went to provincial court and was given bail on a promise to pay $3,000. There were two conditions:
- He is not allowed to talk to anyone in the LGBTQ2S+ community, either in person or through social media.
- He can’t go to or be within 200 meters of an event for the LGBTQ2S+ community.
After Reimer didn’t agree to those terms, the case was put off until Monday, and he stayed in jail at the Calgary Remand Centre.
Monday, defense attorney Ben Allison went to court and asked for another week to pass. He told provincial court Judge Karim Jivraj that his client thinks the conditions are “impossible to meet” and that signing them would be “inviting a breach.”
The defense lawyer says he is working on “a way to protect him” and will be back in court on March 14 to talk about this case.
Slurs against gays and transgender peopl
A news release from the Calgary Police Service says that Reimer and others “aggressively entered a library classroom” just after 11 a.m. on February 25.
They are accused of “yelling homophobic and transphobic slurs at the kids and their parents, scaring the kids, making a scene, and then refusing to leave.”
- Police say charges have been filed in a hate crime after a disturbance at drag storytime.
Calgary police charged Reimer with hate crimes, which means they say the crimes were caused by bias, prejudice, or hatred based on the victim’s personal characteristics.
If Reimer is found guilty, the fact that he did these things out of hatred could be taken into account when he is sentenced.
Up to $10,000 in fines per offens
Reimer is also charged with six counts of harassment under Calgary’s Public Behaviour Bylaw, which says that harassment based on sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or gender expression is against the law.
The city said in a release that each offense could lead to a fine of up to $10,000 and up to six months in jail if the fine is not paid.
After what happened, the Calgary Public Library said that the Reading with Royalty event at the Southwood Library, which was supposed to happen this past weekend, would be moved.
The library said in a statement, “We are still committed to our partnership with Calgary Pride, and we will reschedule the event once we know we can make it safe and fun for kids and families who want to come.”