A Calgary pastor known for his protests at library drag storytime events across the city was found not guilty of causing a disturbance and mischief stemming from an incident at the Seton Library in 2023.
On Tuesday, Justice Allan Fradsham found that while Derek Reimer’s actions were “inconsiderate and disrespectful … they did not cross the line into criminal acts.”
On Feb. 25, 2023, Reimer showed up at a Reading With Royalty event organized by Calgary Pride at the Seton Library. He pushed his way to the front of the room and shouted homophobic and transphobic slurs.
Reimer was then confronted by one of the attendees and “ejected with such violence that he fell to the floor,” said Fradsham.
‘Insulting language’
Justice Fradsham found that if there was a disturbance at the library that day, it’s not clear if it was caused by Reimer’s shouting, “insulting language” or “whether it was the result of some of the audience members’ reactions to Mr. Reimer’s physical movement within the room.”
On the mischief charge, the judge acquitted the 38-year-old after finding that the operation of the Seton branch “continued unabated.”
“The library stayed open, the library staff performed their duties, the public had access to the facility … and normal library functions continued,” wrote Fradsham in his 27-page decision.
Reimer runs Mission 7, a street ministry which, according to its website, hosts gatherings four days a week in Calgary.
In 2023, Reimer was arrested three times in five weeks as he protested Reading With Royalty events hosted at Calgary Public Libraries across the city.
As a result, Reimer faced three sets of charges.
Guilty of harassment
The reading events involve drag queens and kings reading stories to children who are encouraged to dress in their best outfit, cape or crown.
During his protests, Reimer has repeatedly referred to the program as “pervert grooming sessions.”
Last month, he was found guilty of criminal harassment and breaching his bail conditions following incidents at the Saddletowne and Country Hills libraries between March 25 and April 2, 2023.
Reimer recorded an interaction with the Saddletowne Library’s manager and then posted the video to Facebook, encouraging his followers to express their “disgust.” The post included her name as well as the time and location of the next drag event.
The judge found Reimer knew the manager was harassed by his conduct and acted “so that she would be intimidated and would stop the Reading With Royalty event at her library.”
A sentencing hearing on that set of charges will take place in November.
Next month, a Calgary judge is set to rule on his final charge — a breach of his bail condition for protesting another Reading With Royalty event, this time at the Signal Hill Library.
Violent criminal history
The pastor has a 12-year history of committing violent crimes in both Alberta and Manitoba.
His convictions include animal abuse and aggravated assault.
In 2015, a Calgary judge found Reimer guilty of causing suffering to a dog and sentenced him to 12 months probation.
In 2011 in Winnipeg, Reimer was convicted of assault causing bodily harm and, two years later, two counts of aggravated assault.
He was handed an eight-month jail term plus 18 months probation on the first conviction and a two-year jail sentence for his second conviction.