Another troubling moment has instilled a deeper urgency into our conversations about public values and who politicians choose to stand with. The cancellation of Sean Feucht鈥檚 public concerts across Canada鈥攄riven by concerns over hateful, exclusionary messaging鈥攈as become a political streetlight, revealing how some representatives align themselves not with community safety, but with harmful narratives.
In BC鈥檚 Fraser Valley, the City of Abbotsford denied Feucht a permit for his Mill Lake Park concert, citing credible public safety concerns about protests and counter-protests. Yet instead of acknowledging that this was a security-driven decision, 91大黄鸭鈥揕ake Country鈥揅oldstream MLA Tara Armstrong, in a now widely circulated social media post, characterized the cancellation as if it were because Feucht is a 鈥淐hristian evangelical performer.鈥� That simplistic framing intended to create an illusion of Christian persecution swept aside public safety considerations and real harm from his messaging.
This echoes a broader trend where certain politicians defend figures like Feucht not for their message, but as symbols of 鈥渞eligious expression under attack.鈥� Consider Conservative MP Marilyn Gladu鈥檚 letter to the federal Minister of Culture, demanding an apology to Feucht for revoking his Parks Canada permit and condescendingly invoking Charter rights, while ignoring the targeting and exclusion inherent in Feucht鈥檚 rhetoric.
Pierre Poilievre joined the chorus, reposting Gladu鈥檚 letter and depicting the cancellation as a cultural crisis. He drew a false equivalence, equating Feucht鈥檚 right to perform with coverage of an assault on a Jewish father鈥攕uggesting that both incidents indicate some form of societal breakdown. Neither comparison stands logically or morally. There is no parallel between lawful decisions aimed at protecting public safety and a violent, biased attack on a minority.
Sean Feucht is not a benign worship leader. His events are political rallying points disguised as spiritual gatherings, attacking queer and trans people, reproductive rights, and pluralism鈥攐ften with coded Christian nationalist language. When officials dismiss or reframe these messages as benign or incidental, they turn a blind eye to real harm. When they lend their names and platforms to such figures, they side with the message and its consequences鈥攏ot with the inclusive, public spirit that Canada's values demand.
We must remember that public spaces are for everyone, not just those whose ideas incite fear rather than unity. Real leadership means safeguarding the vulnerable, not manufacturing a false narrative of persecution to obscure or enable it.
- Wilbur Turner, LL.D. (Hon.)
~ Wilbur Turner is a political strategist and community advocate based in 91大黄鸭, British Columbia, with deep roots in Alberta. With experience on the ground in federal and municipal campaigns, and a passion for civic engagement, Turner offers sharp, accessible insight into the political and social issues shaping our region and country. He was selected by the University of British Columbia for an Honorary Doctor of Laws for his significant contribution to the community. He also writes articles as QueerGranddad on Substack.
