Honest Mistake or Convenient Excuse? The Legion’s Role in Hosting Anti-Trans Event Sparks Backlash
The Royal Canadian Legion Branch 292 in Victoria, British Columbia, is embroiled in controversy after hosting an event connected to the Vancouver Island Speaks group—a known anti-trans organization. The event, which took place on September 14, 2024, sparked immediate backlash from LGBTQ+ advocates, prompting a public apology from the Legion on social media.
In their statement, the Legion expressed being “deeply ashamed and distraught” over hosting the event, claiming they believed the group to be a non-profit focused on women’s issues. The branch stressed that it does not support the group’s views and reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the military and veterans. However, the apology has raised questions: How genuine is their regret, and is their claim of ignorance about the group’s agenda believable?
“There is in NO way that the Legion supports the beliefs of this group… We are deeply ashamed and apologize profusely to those who were hurt by this.”
Royal Canadian Legion Branch 292
The Apology and Its Tone
The Legion’s apology, shared on social media, expressed a profound sense of regret. In the statement, the organization emphasized that it was misled about the nature of the group, believing it to focus on women’s rights. The branch declared, “There is in NO way that the Legion supports the beliefs of this group” and acknowledged the hurt caused, apologizing to those affected. The message aimed to distance the branch from the event and signal that its values do not align with the group’s anti-trans agenda.
Initially, the Legion claimed they were misled, believing the event to be focused on women’s issues, which they highlighted in their apology: “We are deeply ashamed and distraught over the group that was in attendance.” However, critics are questioning the Legion’s claim of ignorance, considering Vancouver Island Speaks has a clear and well-publicized agenda targeting gender-affirming care for minors and questioning trans identities, often in highly publicized forums1 2.
The event featured speakers who are known for their opposition to gender identity legislation, including detransitioners and activists like Meghan Murphy, who has been an outspoken critic of trans rights in Canada for years. The fact that these individuals were headlining the event raises questions about whether the Legion could have been unaware of the group’s stance, as the event was not subtle about its focus on opposing “gender ideology”3 4.
In response, local LGBTQ+ activists organized peaceful counter-protests to advocate for trans rights and visibility, reflecting broader concerns over rising anti-trans sentiment across Canada. These protests aimed to push back against both the event and the harmful ideologies it espoused.
Given the Legion’s standing as a community-focused organization, their apology will likely face further scrutiny as people weigh their plausible deniability against the need for stronger vetting and accountability.
Plausible Deniability or Willful Ignorance?
While the apology seems sincere on the surface, the Legion’s claim of not knowing about the group’s anti-trans stance raises skepticism. Vancouver Island Speaks is part of a broader Canada-wide movement aimed at opposing gender identity education in schools—something that has been widely publicized in recent months. As part of the “1 Million March 4 Children,” this group advocates for the removal of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) programs from Canadian schools, which are designed to promote inclusivity and reduce bullying of LGBTQ+ students.
Given the group’s clear anti-LGBTQ+ messaging and its association with nationwide protests, it’s questionable whether the Legion’s leadership was unaware of what the event entailed. Could they have been genuinely misled, or did they fail to perform due diligence in vetting the organization before renting out their space?
Community Response and Criticism
In response, local LGBTQ+ activists organized peaceful counter-protests to advocate for trans rights and visibility, reflecting broader concerns over rising anti-trans sentiment across Canada. These protests aimed to push back against both the event and the harmful ideologies it espoused.5
Given the Legion’s standing as a community-focused organization, their apology will likely face further scrutiny as people weigh their plausible deniability against the need for stronger vetting and accountability.
The event at the Legion has triggered anger within the local community, especially among LGBTQ+ activists. Local counter-protests were quickly organized in response to both the event itself and the nationwide “1 Million March 4 Children” protests against gender identity education.
- https://tnc.news/2024/08/11/victoria-venue-cancels-womens-rights-event/ ↩︎
- https://www.victoriabuzz.com/2023/09/peaceful-counter-protest-planned-against-anti-trans-group-at-bc-legislature-next-week/ ↩︎
- https://vancouverislandspeaks.telltix.com/events/vancouverislandspeaks/1203802 ↩︎
- https://tnc.news/2024/08/11/victoria-venue-cancels-womens-rights-event/ ↩︎
- https://www.victoriabuzz.com/2023/09/peaceful-counter-protest-planned-against-anti-trans-group-at-bc-legislature-next-week/ ↩︎