Right-Wing Trolls Are Freaking Out After Learning They Can Get Sued for Calling People ‘Groomers’ on the Internet

[Zeedox]

Right-Wing Trolls Are Freaking Out After Learning They Can Get Sued for Calling People ‘Groomers’ on the Internet

New court decision reinforces that there is no public interest in speech that exposes vulnerable groups to hate

pressprogress.ca

Last year, Rainbow Alliance Dryden, a 2SLGBTQIA+ community group in Dryden, Ontario launched a defamation lawsuit against Brian Webster, a Thunder Bay blogger who runs a local Facebook page.

The lawsuit was prompted by Webster’s anonymous posts reacting to a CBC News article about a drag story time event organized by the plaintiffs: “Ask yourself why these people need to perform for children?” Webster wrote. “Groomers. That’s the agenda.”

In its decision, the court found Webster’s statements failed a basic “public interest” test since “perpetuating hurtful myths and stereotypes about vulnerable members in our society” does not represent speech anti-SLAPP rules are “intended to protect.”

“I agree with the Plaintiffs that perpetuating such stereotypes and myths about members of the 2SLGBTQI community is not public interest speech,” the decision explains. “It is not a matter about which the community has a genuine interest or genuine stake in knowing.”

“If the post merely questioned the propriety of drag storytime for children, or expressed his opinion that drag storytime is not appropriate for children, I may have been inclined to find that the matter was social commentary and public interest speech.”

 

[Gomez Adams]

Disagree completely with that decision. The judge is way off base as it has nothing to do with commentary. It has everything to do with free speech.

He was asked, "Ask yourself why these people need to perform for children?"

He answered, "Groomers. That's the agenda."

He answered a question with his opinion. That's free speech 101.

What's more, what did that community suffer? What did they lose? How were they financially effected? Did they all lose their jobs over it? Were they suddenly hunted down in the streets and harassed by people using that statement as an attack method?

This isn't a defamation case at all. It's a free speech case, and obviously, the court has completely overreached. This will be overturned on appeal, or at the very least it should be.

 

[Zeedox]

Your free speech as americans is much different then our free speech.

 

[Gomez Adams]

Obviously. I'd be afraid to open my mouth at all in that country given that bullshit ruling.

Waiter: So how did you find your steak, sir?
Me: Simple- I rolled over the baked potato and there it was.

LAWSUIT!