CALGARY — A man has been charged for spitting on a drag king in what Calgary police say they believe was a hate-motivated assault.
The drag king, typically a female performance artist dressed in masculine drag, was recording a video on the rainbow crosswalk in the city’s downtown on a Saturday in August.
Police say a man was caught on video walking by and spitting on the drag king.
Information from the public helped identify the man, police say, and he was arrested on Thursday.
Craig Brendon McGillis, who is 37 and from Tsuut’ina, Alta., is charged with one count of assault.
Police say in a news release that hate-motivated crimes not only harm the victim, but can have larger effects in the community by leaving others in fear that they may also be targeted.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 20, 2020.
The Canadian Press