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Vancouver Sun
29-07-2025
- Politics
- Vancouver Sun
B.C. cities face backlash over public venues booked for controversial U.S. preacher
City officials in West Kelowna and Abbotsford say they are reviewing safety protocols and event permitting ahead of appearances by Sean Feucht, a U.S. Christian musician and preacher whose Canadian 'worship tour' has already faced a wave of cancellations elsewhere in the country. Feucht is scheduled to appear in West Kelowna's Memorial Park on Aug. 23 and Abbotsford's Mill Lake Park on Aug. 24 as part of his 'Let Us Worship: Revive In 25' cross-country tour. Last week, authorities, including Parks Canada in Halifax and municipal officials in Charlottetown, Quebec City, Moncton, Gatineau and Vaughan — revoked permits or cancelled events, citing public safety concerns or misalignment with community values. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Feucht, a MAGA-supporting Christian Nationalist worship-music singer said on X on July 24, 'If I had shown up with purple hair and a dress, claiming to be a woman, the government wouldn't have said a word.' He later claimed on X the cancellations were 'blatant Christian persecution in Canada.' On July 27, Feucht posted a copy of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms on X, saying, 'Testing to see if this still means anything up here anymore?' If Feucht, an audience member or a venue wants to use the cancellations in a Charter challenge over freedom of speech, they would most likely be out of luck, according to Joel Bakan, a constitutional expert with the Allard School of Law at the University of B.C. 'On the basis of my knowledge of the content that he is expressing, it is content that is likely to promote hatred or contempt of LGBTQ people,' said Bakan. Under the B.C. Human Rights Act, any content 'likely' to promote hatred or contempt is a violation of B.C. law. Bakan said there have been numerous Charter challenges and court rulings on the constitutionality of restricting free speech under Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Limitations to speech likely to promote hatred or contempt of individuals or groups provided in provincial human rights legislation have been upheld by the Supreme Court of Canada and are not a violation of the guarantee of freedom of expression set out in section 2B of the Charter. In a 2013 ruling, the Supreme Court of Canada clarified the limits of freedom of speech under the Charter, in Saskatchewan (Human Rights Commission) v. Whatcott, a case involving the distribution of anti-gay pamphlets in schools. The Supreme Court found that the prohibition in Section 14(1)(b) of the Charter, in which expressions that expose any person or class of persons to hatred on the basis of a prohibited ground, including sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, sex, marital or family status, is 'a reasonable and demonstrably justified limit on the right to freedom of expression.' Canada has a distinctively Canadian constitutional framework, compared to the American constitution. 'Ours allows for restrictions on speech that promotes hatred or that are discriminatory or promote toxic values,' said Bakan. 'The reason for this is that when you engage in speech that promotes hatred or is likely to promote hatred, you are silencing the people you are targeting, so it's a net loss,' said Bakan. 'Hate speech has a free-speech destroying effect.' The tour has drawn criticism from some B.C. residents who argue Feucht's public positions on abortion, gender identity and 2SLGBTQ+ rights are divisive and harmful. Abbotsford resident Ali Neufeld, who sent a letter to city officials this week, urged the municipality to reconsider allowing the event at Mill Lake Park. 'While I understand the importance of upholding free speech, this principle should not come at the expense of public safety, inclusivity, or the well-being of marginalized groups,' she wrote. Neufeld said her family has spent many joyful days at Mill Lake, but 'would not feel safe or welcome if the event proceeds. We cannot, in good conscience, support a space that provides a platform for hate under the guise of faith or music.' In West Kelowna, resident Wilbur Turner expressed similar concerns in a public social media post. He urged city officials to reconsider permitting Feucht's concert at Memorial Park. 'This kind of event does not reflect the inclusive, welcoming community that is valued in West Kelowna and the Okanagan. Public spaces belong to everyone, and they should not be used as platforms to make community members feel unwelcome or unsafe because of who they are,' Turner wrote. The City of West Kelowna confirmed to Postmedia that they are ' closely monitoring the circumstances surrounding the tour of Sean Feucht who has been booked at the Memorial Park amphitheatre for Aug. 23.' Communications manager Ashley Stewart said, 'We are listening and understand the concerns raised by members of the public regarding the performer,' and that the city is working with the RCMP to assess public safety related to the event. The City of Abbotsford has received correspondence from members of the public in relation to the proposed concert, said spokesperson Katherine Treloar. The City of Abbotsford said the Burn 24.7 Canada Worship Ministries Society, affiliated with Sean Feucht, has applied to the city for a 'special events permit.' The permit is under review as part of the city's permit process, said Treloar. Treloar said she could not provide any specifics, but added that community safety considerations are a significant component of every event permit application review for the City of Abbotsford. Feucht has pushed back against the cancellations, rescheduling concerts at the last minute to private property and vowing on social media that he is 'not backing down.' Parks Canada says its decision to cancel a planned concert in the Halifax area for the night of June 22 was based on evolving security risks and expected protests. Feucht later held the event in a farmer's field 70 kilometres away. In a statement Feucht posted to social media Friday, he accused Canadian authorities of targeting him for his faith. 'Here's the hard truth: If I had shown up with purple hair and a dress, claiming to be a woman, the government wouldn't have said a word. But to publicly profess deeply held Christian beliefs is to be labelled an extremist,' wrote Feucht. Feucht held a concert in a township just outside Ottawa on Saturday after the National Capital Commission cancelled a scheduled performance in Gatineau. On Friday, an evangelical Montreal church hosted a Feucht concert without a permit, and was promptly fined by city officials. sgrochowski@
25-07-2025
- Politics
MAGA musician permit revocations spark public space debate
The decision to revoke (new window) a controversial MAGA-supporting performer's permits to hold events on public property has sparked a debate about who should be allowed to perform in public spaces. Sean Feucht is a religious singer from the U.S. who has expressed anti-diversity, anti-2SLGBTQ+ and anti-women's rights views on his platforms. He was scheduled to perform at the York Redoubt National Historic site in Halifax on Wednesday, but amid backlash from the public Parks Canada cancelled his permit, citing safety concerns. Soon after, Feucht's permits for events on public property in Charlottetown, P.E.I. (new window) , Moncton, N.B. (new window) , and parts of Quebec (new window) were also cancelled. Cameron Cassidy, the executive director of Pride P.E.I., said the City of Charlottetown absolutely did the right thing by revoking that permit. I think that just shows a lot of respect for the queer community on their end. But not everybody agrees. James Turk, the director of the Centre for Free Expression at Toronto Metropolitan University, said the decision to remove a permit raises a red flag. I think we should all be concerned whenever there is a demand that somebody's right to speak is taken away, a permit withdrawn, a booking in a venue cancelled, Turk said in an interview on Thursday. Amplifying messages Turk said the price of democracy is living with viewpoints that we don't like or agree with as well as ones we do like. In Canada, generally, we recognize the foundation of democracy is an ongoing public discourse about what's legitimate, what's not legitimate, Turk said. And that means we tolerate a wide range of perspectives and views, and we sort things out in our heterogeneous society by listening to different views, arguing against them or ignoring them or boycotting them, but not by censoring them. Turk said attempts to censor someone like Feucht could end up amplifying his message. I never heard of this guy. I suspect 99.99 per cent of your listeners never heard of him. But now we're talking about it. He could be on national news. He's being covered. So he's gotten publicity out of this that he could never afford to buy. So whoever was objecting to him has done him a huge favour, Turk said. James Turk is the director of the Centre for Free Expression at Toronto Metropolitan University. Photo: CBC Matthew Taylor, a senior Christian scholar at the Institute for Islamic, Christian and Jewish Studies who has written about Feucht, agrees. He's been doing these provocative, in your face, intentionally trying to draw a response from local officials, even trying to get barred or banned. And then he presents that as persecution, that he is the victim of anti-Christian bias, Taylor said. Feucht did end up performing in Nova Scotia on Wednesday. The event was held on property in Shubenacadie, N.S., belonging to Christine and Neil Barr. Both are pastors affiliated with a religious group called Lighthouse Ministries. He was here and had no political agenda, just the gospel and his love for Canada, Christine Barr told CBC News. Leading up to the performance, the Barrs said they received hundreds of messages from people who opposed the Feucht show. Christine and Neil Barrs, both pastors affiliated with Lighthouse Ministries, hosted Sean Feucht on their property in Shubenacadie, N.S. Photo: CBC A lot of very hateful emails, texts to say that we were allowing a fascist on our property and that we should know better and the Christianity that we were showing was not love, it was hate and that we were racists. Some people even cursed ill health upon us, Christine Barr said. The Barrs said some people showed up to protest the show. In response to the backlash, Feucht put out a statement. Here's the hard truth: If I had shown up with purple hair and a dress, claiming to be a woman, the government wouldn't have said a thing. But to publicly profess deeply held Christian beliefs is to be labelled an extremist and to have free worship events classified as 'public safety risks.' Sean Feucht's tour bus in Shubenacadie, N.S., on Wednesday, July 23, 2025. Photo: CBC Opponents of the Feucht show at York Redoubt had voiced opposition to it because they said it went against Parks Canada's guiding principles of inclusion and safety for all visitors. Turk said while some people may not feel safe having someone like Feucht performing in their community, there is no protection for subjective feeling of safety. We have an absolute obligation of society to make sure people are physically safe. In other words, not subject to violence or threats of violence, but because somebody says something I find hateful is not a justification for silencing that person, Turk said. I can argue with them. As I say, I could ignore them, I can encourage people to have nothing to do with them, but I don't have a right to silence them. With files from Kayla Hounsell
Daily Mirror
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Netflix is still streaming all of The Hunting Wives star's ‘musical masterpieces'
The Hunting Wives on Netflix already has fans demanding a second season, but unfortunately it's not made it to the UK just yet There's good news for Netflix users jealous of US fans who have just got their hands on the most scandalous new murder mystery drama of the year. The Hunting Wives stars Brittany Snow as Sophie O'Neil, a former journalist who moves to rural Texas with her husband and their young son. Sophie soon strikes up a close relationship with Margo Banks (played by Malin Akerman), the alluring wife of her husband's new boss, oil tycoon Jed Banks (Dermot Mulroney). However, she bites off more than she can chew when she becomes indoctrinated into Margo's exclusive group of MAGA-supporting hunting friends, who all have a secret or two to hide. When the body of a teenage girl is found in one of their favourite hunting spots, Sophie's life begins to spiral out of control. This must-watch series is already causing waves in the USA after releasing this Monday (21st July), with the hope it will soon arrive to UK streamers. Until then, fans can stream several hit films with The Hunting Wives' lead star on Netflix. All three films in the Pitch Perfect series, which stars Snow alongside Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson, are available on Netflix in the UK. Also on the streamer is one of her breakout films, the 2007 musical Hairspray. Pitch Perfect is often considered a modern teen classic, and is the ideal campy, easy-going movie to throw on if you can't wait to see Snow step up her game in her scandalous new thriller. One five-star Google review said: 'This masterpiece of a movie that stars one of my favorite singers (and actresses), has always been a favorite of mine. 'From the hilarious delivery of jokes to the amazing singing from the ENTIRE cast, this is absolutely one of my comfort movies. Watch Stranger Things on Netflix for free with Sky This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more from £15 Sky Get the deal here Product Description 'I mean, really -- there are so many perfect comedy lines throughout the movie, with a lovable cast to play the lovable characters (Rebel Wilson playing Fat Amy HAS to be my favorite <3). HIGHLY RECOMMEND WATCHING THIS FILM.' 'Pitch Perfect is one of my FAVORITE movies, I fell off of my sofa not even half way through the movie. It is HILARIOUS!!!' someone else raved. And a third enthusiast wrote: 'This movie is an all-time favorite for my kids and hubby. We have a blast watching this every night, LOL!! It has the best messages and the singing is a hit!' Fans also agree Hairspray is equally deserving of classic status, with one user writing: 'I love this movie so much. The message is to love everyone for who they are no matter what shape and size or what they look like. 'This movie is so inspiring and anyone can learn from it whether it be to love themselves for who they are or to love people who are different.' If that's still not enough, Brittany Snow's Netflix Original romantic comedy with Gina Rodriguez, Someone Great, is also not going anywhere. Pitch Perfect 1-3 and Hairspray are available to stream on Netflix.
Daily Mirror
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Will The Hunting Wives get a second season? Everything we know about ‘juicy' new Netflix drama
A scandalous new murder mystery has just been added to Netflix, but is this the start of another ongoing hit for the streamer? The Hunting Wives has just dropped on Netflix in the US today (Monday, 21st July), a scandalous murder mystery that's sure to be a hit with thriller fans. Starring Brittany Snow and Malin Akerman, is a riveting, steamy drama filled to the brim with sex, lies and plenty of scandal. When Sophie O'Neil (played by Snow) and her husband Graham (Evan Jonigkeit) move to a small Republican town in Texas, she finds herself lured into the clutches of Margo Banks (Akerman) and her clique of gun-toting, MAGA-supporting friends. She soon discovers Margo's seemingly perfect marriage to Graham's new boss Jed Banks (Dermot Mulroney) isn't what it appears, while the discovery of a teenage girl's body shakes up the tight-knit community. With Netflix 's new acquisition of the former Starz series poised to be another hit for the streamer, fans will be wondering if the new drama will be back for more. Will The Hunting Wives return for a second season? We won't give anything away here, but the signs are good that creator Rebecca Cutter is keen to continue the story. Based on the novel of the same name by May Cobb, the TV adaptation leaves the finale open-ended with some cliffhangers and plenty of loose ends. This seems to suggest Netflix is confident The Hunting Wives' first season will perform well enough amongst subscribers to warrant a second season. Unfortunately, there has been no official announcement about a follow-up just yet. Even more frustratingly, the series has not been made available to watch in international territories just yet, giving it a slightly smaller chance of success. Watch Stranger Things on Netflix for free with Sky This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more from £15 Sky Get the deal here Product Description For now, only subscribers in the US are able to watch The Hunting Wives as Netflix licensed the drama, originally set to air on Starz before the network parted ways with Lionsgate Television, for a year. Lionsgate reportedly envisioned the series as a multi-season drama while Starz was keen to keep it as a limited series. Now Netflix has the show's US rights, it could have a greater chance to score strong ratings in its first week of release, leading to both a second season and an international release. However, Netflix won't be the platform releasing The Hunting Wives outside the States. Starz shows have previously made their way to MGM+ in territories like the UK, but it remains to be seen where this particular drama will end up.
Int'l Business Times
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
Ex-Obama Adviser Takes Jab at Trump in Defense of Zohran Mamdani: 'Trump Said Things That Are Problematic Too'
A former advisor of former President Barack Obama defended the Democratic candidate in the New York City mayoral race, Zohran Mamdani, from MAGA-supporting critics, pointing out that President Donald Trump has also made outrageous statements. Former Obama administration staff member and Biden-Harris campaign senior staffer, Ashley Allison, appeared on CNN's "State of The Union" on Sunday. The panel, which included Democratic Rep. Chris Deluzio and Republican Rep. Riley Moore, conversed with CNN host Jake Tapper, who brought up Mamdani's recent victory in New York. Migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. using the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) CBP ONE application, wait outside the building of the National Institute of Migration (INM) as they queue to request a permit to travel to another point of entry to the U. Reuters "There are some things that he says that I find problematic. But Donald Trump is our president, and a lot of people support him and he's said a lot of things that are problematic too. So we can find our way around things and hold people accountable while still supporting them to be good mayors," Allison said. "Two things happened; there was an effective and aggressive 'no' to Cuomo's campaign, which opened for whoever was in that primary to find their lane and Mamdani was the one who found his lane and is now the Democratic nominee," she had said earlier. Allison encouraged Democats to "support" the candidates who win their primaries instead of picking apart their campaigns. "What is good in New York City probably isn't going to fly in Youngstown, Ohio, where I'm from, but we are the big tent party, or at least we used to be, so there's enough space for all of us. Don't let him become mayor and then just turn your back on him, help him govern," Allison continued. Mamdani will go on to face off against Cuomo again in November, who reportedly plans to continue running as an independent, as well as current Mayor Eric Adams, who is also running as an independent, Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa and independent candidate Jim Walden. Originally published on Latin Times
