Pastor Derek Reimer, leader of MISSION7 – a Christian outreach organization supporting the homeless in his home city of Calgary, has had his share of run-ins with law enforcement because (like many) he chooses to take a stand, speaking out on issues that he believes put children and families at risk.

Pastor Reimer’s current troubles began in February of 2023 when he protested a ‘drag queen story time’ event at the Seton Library in Calgary. For reference, these are all-ages children’s events featuring adult males in elaborate and revealing ‘drag’ costumes who are paid to perform for and read to the children.

Pastor Reimer was forcefully ejected from this event and arrested for trespass and causing a disturbance. Bail conditions were set, including a stipulation that he was not to be within 200 metres of any drag queen events.

He was eventually acquitted of these charges.

Not long after however, he protested across the street from another drag queen story time event, titled “Reading with Royalty”, at the Signal Hill Library in Calgary.

At this event he was again arrested, but this time it was for breaching the bail conditions for the previous charges he had already been acquitted of.

He was charged with, and later convicted of criminal harassment by Justice Karen Molle. He admitted that he ‘may have’ crossed their invisible line of 200 metres, but if so, it was only in error.

While it is highly unusual in cases like this for someone to be charged against bail conditions stemming from an acquitted case, it is possible if bail conditions were applied legally when the charges were issued. A person can still be convicted of breaching a condition even if the substantive is dropped; a concept that is most easily understood if we think of the two as separate charges.

Pastor Reimer and his attorney, Andrew MacKenzie, are appealing his conviction using established precedence that has previously seen breaches dismissed in similar cases.

Our Charter was created in part to protect the citizens of Canada from unreasonable detention and to support our rights to freedom of speech and association (among other protections afforded).

Pastor Reimer has as much right to peacefully and publicly express his distaste for these sexualized children’s events as the event participants themselves have in offering them.

We fully support Pastor Reimer in his efforts to protect his rights and freedoms and speak out in peaceful protest as he sees fit.

To read the article written by the Post Millennial, click here