Chris Elston, aka “Billboard Chris”

—Protests against transgender health care and transgender people. Elston travels the United States, wearing a sandwich board with messages including, “Children cannot consent to puberty blockers.” Since June 1, 2022, Elston has been involves in 20 incidents including 15 protests and five cases of harassment. Elston frequently targets gender-affirming care providers, school districts / college campuses, and other public events.

—Works with many far-right “parents rights” groups, including Moms for Liberty, Gays Against Groomers, Genspect, Do No Harm, Independent Women’s Forum (IWF), and the Heritage Foundation.

—Appeared with three other protestors at rally organized to support transgender youth in New York City.

—Invited to attend White House event for President Trump signing an executive order against transgender youth participating in school sports.

—Harassed, intimidated, and followed a gender consultant in Canada, questioning her about puberty blockers while filming her without consent.

—Staged protests near schools in Canada, opposing the teaching of “gender ideology.” Transgender people exist. “Gender ideology” is not a term transgender people use to describe themselves, it is an inaccurate term deployed by opponents to undermine and dehumanize transgender and nonbinary people. (See GLAAD’s Fact Sheet for Reporters–Term to Avoid: “Gender Ideology”)

—Framed transgender identities as mental illness and criticized LGBTQ rights organizations for supporting rights for transgender people. Elston is not an expert on mental health, not a health care provider, and not an expert in biology or endocrinology. 

—Denies the existence of LGBTQ people, and falsely equates “Q” (which is typically understood to mean “queer” or “questioning” as umbrella terms for people who do not identify as cisgender or heterosexual) with pedophilia. It’s a baseless and damaging slur. (See GLAAD’s Online Anti-LGBTQ Hate Terms Defined: “Groomer”)

 —Baselessly claims, “There is no such thing as an LGBTQ community,” and instead decries “transgenderism.” Elston makes both claims numerous times on his Twitter account. The LGBTQ community exists, and transgender people exist. The current usage of “transgenderism” arises from anti-trans extremists who seek to delegitimize and dehumanize trans people by implying that being trans is an ideology rather than an identity. (See GLAAD’s Online Anti-LGBTQ Hate Terms Defined: “Transgenderism.”)