Pastor Derek Reimer Is Not Victim, He’s a Menace and His Behaviour Isn’t At All Christian
Christ wasn’t cruel, He wasn’t mean, He didn’t use fear and aggression to do His ministry, Christianity isn’t an asshole, our righteousness doesn’t give us permission to abuse others
Transcript
“I just wanna give you guys a quick update that there is a warrant out for my arrest right now. I had a probation appointment earlier. He [probation officer] asked for my apology letter.
I will not apologise to an offended librarian manager over the grooming of children in a public library. I said it to him, and I’m gonna say it to all of you, Justice Karen Molle should apologise to the children, the library manager should apologise to the children, and Crown Prosecutor Dalidowicz should be apologising to these children that are getting groomed, that are getting sexualised, and that are getting corrupted by left wing indoctrination about being homosexuals and being drag queens, as taking place right inside our public libraries. There is nothing wrong with us exercising our Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
There is nothing wrong with us expressing our beliefs and having a voice in like Ephesians 5:11 says, “and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them, and the grief that needs to tell a fault,” we will do that, and we will continue to do that, and we should be doing that, and we should not be tolerating this filth and the abomination that it is. That the Holy God sees it as such. So we need to be telling them what the Holy Scriptures say about it.
Reader, perhaps Pastor Derek Reimer doesn’t know about sections 2(c) and (d), as well as section 7, and that these fundamental rights apply to drag queens and kings. Whatever anyone think of the drag lifestyle, these individuals are entitled to protection under the Charter. They’re entitled to dignity and respect and compassion.
READING WITH ROYALTY STORY-TIME PROGRAM
“This family-friendly story-time program, supported by ATB Financial, celebrates inclusion and diversity. Local drag queen and king performers read books to children and families, sharing messages of acceptance and respect.” — Calgary Library Foundation
I’ve begun this article with a short audio clip (above) from Pastor Derek Reimer’s November 28th Facebook live, in which he announced his impending arrest. I wanted readers to get a sense of his state of mind, in particular his lack of self awareness, his narcissism and sociopathy, and his lack of remorse. Pastor Derek Reimer feels he’s done nothing wrong. He sees himself as a victim of persecution by the state. He sees himself as a kind of righteous warrior or martyr for guarding the children from drag queen story time. This isn’t about the morality of GenderWang, it’s about the morality of following basic principles and ethics of respectful and non threatening behaviour, it’s about boundaries and humility. It’s about hate-motivated conduct. It’s about zealotry and lack of self control. It’s about the need for humanisation and compassion even and especially in the face of disagreement. It’s about remembering to love the sinner and hate the sin. Yes, we are called to separate the doer from their doings in our lives as Christians.
Legal Details and Case Timeline
Here’s a quick summary of his legal situation, including previous convictions.
CRIMINAL HARASSMENT CHARGE
August 22, 2024 — Alberta Court of Justice — Justice Karen Molle
Charge — Criminal Harassment under Section 264 of Canada’s Criminal Code
Outcome — Convicted — Guilty of Criminal Harassment
Background — Between March 25th and April 2, 2023, Derek Reimer, a Calgary-based pastor and leader of Mission 7 Ministries, protested against “Reading with Royalty” drag queen storytime events for children at Calgary Public Library branches. Hosted by the public library, these events feature drag performers (called drag queens) reading to children and promoting themes of gender diversity, as well as acceptance and inclusion. Reimer protested outside events, confronted a staff member of Saddletowne Library, posting videos online to rally opposition to the library staff member. Reimer labeled the event as a “pervert grooming session.”
Reimer approached manager Shannon Slater, questioned her decision to host the event, recorded the interaction lasting about 90 seconds, and posted it on Facebook with her name, workplace, and contact details. Pastor Reimer doxxed the library manager, posting her work location and phone number and inciting his followers to “take action,” specifically Pastor Reimer encouraged his social media followers to contact Slater to demand cancellation, stating “we’ll be back” if it continued. Slater later received a text message that said “shame on you.” The Crown Prosecutor argued that Pastor Reimer’s behaviour constituted repeated conduct that intimidated victims and reasonably caused them to fear for their safety. The library manager Shannon Slater felt frightened enough to delete her social media accounts. The defense argued no “repeated conduct” happened and that no reasonable fear resulted. Justice Molle rejected this, citing online amplification as key.
Judicial decision of guilty — Molle ruled Reimer’s conduct did indeed constitute repeated conduct, via the video and written posts on social media. Justice Molle also found Pastor Reimer’s conduct willful, and intending to intimidate Slater into canceling the event. She found Slater reasonably feared for her safety due to the public doxxing and inflammatory language, ie, Reimer calling Slater a “child abuser”. Acquitted on two counts of causing a disturbance (yelling outside libraries not inherently criminal). Guilty on four counts of breaching bail (prohibiting attendance at LGBTQ+ events without permission).
November 27-December 23, 2024 — Alberta Court of Justice — Justice Karen Molle
Outcome — Conviction upheld and sentence imposed
Sentencing hearing. The Crown sought a 1-year jail sentence. The defense argued for conditional sentence, emphasizing “no prior record” and underscoring the free speech, religious expression, Charter rights nature of this case. Justice Molle imposed a 12-month conditional sentence order (CSO): 24-hour house arrest (with exemptions for court/ religious services), followed by 3 years probation. Molle ordered Pastor Reimer to submit a written apology letter to Slater by November 28, 2025. Reimer refused, citing compelled speech violating his conscience.
May 2025 — Alberta Court of King’s Bench — Justice Shane Parker
Outcome — Appeal of conviction and sentence upheld
Justice Parker upheld that Reimer’s actions were a “dangerous and clumsy tool” by inciting a “mob” via public posts, losing control over potential harm. He rejected Charter arguments, stating Reimer invited public intimidation by sharing details. He indicated that calling Slater a “child abuser” could lead to violence. The Crown emphasized deterrence, citing a need to send a message to the public, “do not follow in Derek Reimer’s footsteps.” Defense highlighted disproportionate harm compared to typical harassment cases, arguing the harassment didn’t involve “hundreds of communications.”
MISCHIEF AND DISTURBANCE CHARGE
September 9, 2024 — Alberta Court of Justice — Justice Alan Fradsham
Charge — General Mischief under Section 430(1)d and Causing a Disturbance under Section 175(1)(a)(i) of Canada’s Criminal Code
On September 9, 2024 Justice Alan Fradsham acquitted Reimer on the charges, finding the Crown failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt “that Mr. Reimer caused a disturbance in the adult programming room by one of the actions enumerated in section 175(1)(a)(i). He caused emotional upset which may have been caused, in part, by his shouting. If I am wrong, and there was a disturbance in the adult programming room, then it is not at all clear whether it was the result of some of the audience members’ reaction to Mr. Reimer’s physical movement within the room, or to the content of what he was saying, or to his shouting” (para 91 R v Reimer, 2024 ABCJ 188).
Justice Fradsham reasoned that, “in order for Mr. Reimer to be convicted on Count 1, the Crown must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that acts of Mr. Reimer interfered with the Calgary Public Library Board’s operation of the Seton branch of the Calgary Public Library, and that those acts were wrongful” (para 104 R v Reimer, 2024 ABCJ 188) … and based on the evidence provided by the Crown, found “find that the acts of Mr. Reimer did not obstruct, interrupt or interfere with the Calgary Public Library Board’s lawful use, enjoyment or operation of the Seton branch of the library” (para 106 R v Reimer, 2024 ABCJ 188).
Justice Fradsham gave the following rationale for his acquittal: Not all actions which are inconsiderate or disrespectful of others are criminal. The actions committed by Mr. Reimer on February 25, 2023, in the Seton branch of the Calgary Public Library may have been many things, and some of them, on any objective basis, were inconsiderate and disrespectful of others, but, for the reasons which I have set out above, I am of the view that they did not cross the line into criminal acts” (para 120 R v Reimer, 2024 ABCJ 188)
On July 9, 2025 Justice Nancy Carruthers overturned the acquittal and ordered a new trial. On November 6, 2025, Justice Jolane Antonio denied Reimer’s application to appeal Carruthers’ order for a new trial. Pastor Reimer will stand trial for Causing a Disturbance and General Mischief in spring of 2026.
BREACHING BAIL CONDITIONS AND/OR HIS CONDITIONAL SENTENCE ORDER
October 7, 2024 — breached his bail condition to stay 200 metres away from LGBTQ2S+ events. Reimer considers it his G-d given duty to protect children from what he calls grooming and sexual perversion and so refuses to honour the condition to stay away from LGBTQ2S+ events.
April 10, 2025 —Participated in an unauthorized over-1-hour preaching/protest on Calgary Courts Centre steps ~90 minutes before an appeal hearing, violating house arrest without probation officer approval.
May 2, 2025 —Similar unauthorized religious gathering and address using a speaker on courthouse grounds before another court appearance.
November 28, 2025 —Failed to submit apology letter to library manager Shannon Slater as ordered in sentencing. Reimer cited religious conscience and Charter rights freedom of expression/religion.
PREVIOUS CONVICTIONS
Note: Reimer has previous convictions of aggravated assault and animal abuse. According to the CBC, in 2011 Reimer was “found guilty of assault causing bodily harm and handed an eight-month jail term plus 18 months probation,” then “in 2013, Reimer was convicted on two counts of aggravated assault and was sentenced to two years in jail,” and in 2015, “Reimer was convicted in Calgary of causing suffering to a dog. He was given 12 months probation as a sentence.”
Reactions and Discussion
The PPC apparently champions as heroic a bloke who has a lengthy history of violence, even before his significant history of disrupting library events —specifically targeting drag story time events.
Reimer objects to the “Reading with Royalty” drag story time program operated out of public libraries. He harassed and intimidating a library staff person in 2023 in an effort to get the program cancelled. Reimer received a 12 month Conditional Sentence Order for his conviction of criminal harassment related to harassing and inciting followers to harass Saddledowne Public Library manager Shannon Slater. He left Slater fearing for her safety.
Reimer has been arrested several times for disrupting drag story time library events and was charged with mischief and causing a disturbance and will have to stand trial a second time in the spring of 2026 because of errors made by the trial judge in the first trial.
“[Derek Reimer] walked towards the front of the room, shouting. He was asked to leave the room and was surrounded by a group of adult participants. He continued to shout and made his way to the front of the room and behind the performers, coming close to stepping on some children.” — from the November 6th court ruling
As you can read in the most recent court document, there was no protection of children happening at Seton library on the part of Pastor Reimer. Rather, Reimer disrupted an event and engaging in mischief, preventing the use of a public place. The Pastor scared children and adults present at the time of his disruption and outburst. He narrowly stepped on children, according to the court document.
Children were there because their parents brought them.
Why do Reimer supporters feel righteous in their endorsement of a bully who broke into a story room to disrupt a children’s program with shouting and acting belligerently, to express disapproval with the Reading With Royalty program? I oppose gender ideology and the idea of drag queens doing story time strikes me as daft and misguided. That would not give me the right to disrupt a public library event by storming the premises, then shouting and scaring everyone there. It wouldn’t give me the right to intimidate a library staff person by recording my conversation with her to post online and doxx her, and incite a mob of online trolls to intimidate her. Righteousness never justifies abuse. Abuse protects no one.
To repeat, Derek Reimer didn’t protect any children from predators. In fact, many would agree that children and the general public need protecting from Reimer. I’m betting that Shannon Slater would agree. It’s this case that his arrest relates to—he breached the conditions of his sentence. He’s shown no remorse and he’s shown willful disregard for the condition of his bail, namely to stay 200 metres away from and LGBTQ2S+ event.
If you think disrupting a public event where children were frightened and criminally harassing a librarian and inciting others to harass her is gonna save anyone from the harms of gender ideology, you’re sorely mistaken. If you think labelling the librarian a child abuser justified, you’re disturbingly amoral — that’s the stuff that gets people beaten and killed. Labelling all drag queens sexually degenerate perverts is not the flex you think it is. It’s libellous and possibly hateful. Again, it’s got high potential for causing physical violence to the targeted person.
Nothing Pastor Derek Reimer has done exhibits lived Christian values. Jesus wasn’t cruel. Jesus welcomed His betrayer to His supper table, and He forbade any violence against his captors. In Luke 9:51-56, He rebuked His disciples for their hostile reactions when the Samaritans rejected Jesus and the disciples from their community. Jesus had a revolutionary relationship with the reviled Samaritan community— He taught and modelled a different way of engaging one’s enemies. He engaged the sinful and cancelled, He hung out with them. The gospel makes clear the Jesus Way.
Taking Paul’s words out of context to justify hateful and cruel conduct reveals Reimer’s ignorance about the Christian ethic. In Ephesians 5 Paul refers to husbands and wives in marriage. In fact, in the verse Reimer quotes above, Paul instructs the Ephesians to avoid participating in darkness and evil, and to expose it by living a righteous life centred in Christ. So, Reimer’s conduct directly contradicts Paul’s own instructions. Anyone who has studied Pauline theology understands this. Alas, many fundamentalists and Biblical literalists misunderstand Paul’s teachings and theology.
Anyone who carries the title pastor, anyone who claims to be a Christian, anyone who purports to do the work of Jesus— such people should bear in mind that no meanness, no cruelty, no fear, no intimidation, no harassment is ever done in the name of Christ. Find a constructive and non abusive way to address your concerns about drag story time and about GenderWang in general. Certainly don’t pretend anything Derek Reimer has done here is remotely Christian.