Every May, the Smithers Pride Society hosts the annual Pride Celebration to celebrate the LGBTQ2S+ community. But this year, the society's events were met with backlash online and a protest at town hall.

This year's Pride Celebration is scheduled for the last weekend in May and the theme is "United In Pride." Organizers have been working for months to orchestrate events popping up around town, including a 19+ dance at The Old Church, a Drag Brunch at a local restaurant, and a free, public all-ages event at Bovill Square on Main Street in Smithers.

Back in April, when the Pride Society started to release information about the events, there was some online backlash to one event in particular: the Drag Story Time event on Saturday. On Facebook, protest organizers wrote about gathering for a "silent protest" at the upcoming council meeting to object to the town "bringing in drag queens for story time into our school and library."

At the May 9 council meeting, over 200 people showed up to protest silently outside the town council chambers at 1027 Aldous St. in Smithers. The council chambers have a maximum capacity of 60 people, so speakers had to rotate in and out of the chambers in order to make a statement to council.

One of the speakers referenced a petition that he brought to council.

"You can see the signatures. Over 800 of them; that's remarkable in a week. See them for yourselves. Hundreds more did not have the opportunity to sign. Our formal request is that you cancel this event, or at the very least, please remove it from a public outdoor space. One last thing. A lot of people think this is just an issue because of the confusion it causes for the children. I'd like to be clear, even if there were no children involved, it's still clearly wrong."

However, the Smithers Public Library was never hosting a Drag Story Time. They have always had a presence at the public Pride events by sharing books, signing people up for library cards, and celebrating the rights of LGBTQ2S+ community in Smithers. But the Drag Story Time that is scheduled to take place is hosted by River Wilde — a non-binary performer who will be dressed as a drag king and reading silly stories in between musical acts on stage — at Bovill Square on May 27.

At the May 9 meeting, Smithers council members agreed they did not have any reason to cancel this year's Pride event.

Then on May 23, in response to these petitions (and misinformation regarding the Drag Story time event), Smithers Pride Society Vice President Sophie Perodeau made this statement to council:

"I've been a part of this movement for six years and I am greatly proud to say that I have seen the positive growth that has happened in this community. I have spoken to many people who have come to us and said thank you for doing this. Thank you for giving us a voice," Perodeau said.

"Thank you for letting us feel heard and seen. I have three children and I want them to grow up in a town where they feel like they can be seen and heard and not have people make them feel any less than people," Perodeau added. "This year will be no different than any other year. We will grow by 200 per cent in attendance. We will not be silenced. We will continue. This event will never be stopped. And people will not be made to feel less than. Period."

Listen to the public comments made to council as well as interviews with Coun. Frank Wray and Pride Board Member Ryan Armstrong below: