“No Hate Huron.” Am I saying that right?
Close! For some reason people tend to drop the “in.” We are No Hate in Huron. Our official name under the Canada Not-for-Profit Corporations Act is No Hate in Huron: Love Lives Here Network. No worries if you miss it; we might gently correct it to make sure the name stays consistent.
Is No Hate in Huron a part of Huron County Pride?
We love Huron County Pride. We’re a completely separate organization, but we’re connected by closely aligned values.
No Hate in Huron exists to resist white supremacy and neo-Nazism in Huron County. Hate movements target many communities, including 2SLGBTQ+ people, so we’re proud to stand in solidarity and friendship with Huron County Pride. Some of our members also volunteer with Pride. To be clear: we have no shared governance (board or leadership) and no legal or financial ties with Huron County Pride.
I’ve seen the “White Lives Matter” sign outside of Goderich. What are you doing about it?
The appearance of Gord Leamen’s “White Lives Matter” billboard is what sparked the creation of No Hate in Huron in August 2024. “White Lives Matter” is widely recognized as a white supremacist rallying cry and is the name of an international hate network rooted in neo-Nazi beliefs. The Southern Poverty Law Center identifies White Lives Matter as a designated hate group.
As a community, we invited Mr. Leamen to remove his signage and consider replacing it with something more welcoming to everyone. He responded by adding more signs of a similar nature.
We have worked hard to ensure that Mr. Leamen, the wider public, and local elected leaders at every level of government understand the phrase’s significance and why it causes harm. Concerns about the slogan’s associations have been communicated clearly and repeatedly. At this point, there is no reasonable possibility that Mr. Leamen, or our elected leadership, is unaware of what the message communicates.
Why is “White Lives Matter” considered a hate slogan?
On the surface, “White Lives Matter” might sound like an obvious and benign phrase. But slogans don’t exist in a historical vacuum. “White Lives Matter” emerged as a racist backlash to the Black Lives Matter movement, which itself arose in response to systemic harms like police brutality and mass incarceration that disproportionately impact Black communities.
“White Lives Matter” is also not just a slogan. It has been used as the name and branding of organized white supremacist activity, and it is widely documented by hate-monitoring organizations as a white supremacist rallying cry and hate network tied to neo-Nazi ideology.
That’s why many people, especially communities historically targeted by white supremacy and neo-Nazism, experience “White Lives Matter” as a signal of exclusion and intimidation, not a good-faith statement about universal human dignity.
Why make such a fuss about a stupid sign?
Honestly, we partially agree: a homemade “White Lives Matter” billboard is a crude, embarrassing message to greet people entering our town and it’s hurtful to many neighbours. But you’re right that a sign, on its own, isn’t the only thing that matters.
Our bigger concern is organized neo-Nazi activity. In August 2024, self-identified neo-Nazis connected to so-called “Active Clubs” met in Goderich and conducted combat training exercises at our local high school track. They plastered recruitment stickers along our boardwalk. These groups are not “edgy politics.” They promote violent ideologies and are willing to perpetrate violence. That is why No Hate in Huron exists: to resist organized hate activity before it takes root here.
In that sense, Gord’s billboards can become a distraction. They are loud objects that people argue about, while the more serious public-safety issue is extremist organizing and recruitment.
We’re also deeply disappointed in the response from our elected leadership. While some municipal leaders and council have spoken about inclusion and reaffirmed equity and safety commitments, there has still been a striking reluctance—especially at the county, provincial, and federal levels—to plainly and explicitly denounce neo-Nazi ideology and organized white supremacy when it shows up here. We believe that silence is a mistake, and history keeps score.
Aren’t you violating Gord Leamen’s freedom of speech?
No. In Canada, freedom of expression protects people from government censorship. It doesn’t protect anyone from public disagreement or criticism. We are not the government, and we have no legal power to censor Mr. Leamen. What we do have is our own right to speak, organize, and respond.
For the first six months of our work, our advocacy focused squarely on urging local elected officials to plainly denounce white supremacist and neo-Nazi ideologies. None did, and still haven’t. We don’t believe in coercing officials into statements they don’t believe, and we don’t believe in performative statements for the sake of optics. We document what leaders choose to say (or not say) and we let the public draw its own conclusions. We respect the right of leaders to choose their own polticial and personal legacies, even when we find them baffling.
No Hate in Huron existed for about a year before we contacted Mr. Leamen directly. When we did, we did so politely and asked him to consider removing the signs. He made it clear he has no intention to do so. That is his choice, just as it is our choice to oppose white supremacy, identify what Mr. Leamen’s billboards signify, and work to keep our community welcoming and safe for everyone.
Gord Leamen has the right to define his legacy in this world. We are busy making it a better place. 😊
All Lives Matter! Right?
We agree that every human life has worth. The reason that the slogan “All Lives Matter” can be problematic is that, in practice, it’s often used as a way to talk over the point of Black Lives Matter rather than to affirm life in general.
Black Lives Matter is a specific response to specific violence and systemic inequities that disproportionately affect Black communities. The phrase is an invitation to do something simple and important: say “Black Lives Matter” without adding a “but …”
At No Hate in Huron, we recognize the dignity and courage of Black Lives Matter, and we honour the broader value of human life through a rigorous commitment to nonviolence and community care.
Are you suggesting that Gord Leamen is a neo-Nazi?
No. We have never claimed that Gord Leamen identifies as a neo-Nazi.
What we have said consistently is that the phrase “White Lives Matter” is widely recognized as a white supremacist rallying cry and has been used by organized neo-Nazi/white supremacist networks. Our concern is the harmful public impact of the slogan, along with Mr. Leamen’s other xenophobic billboards. We are deeply concerned that unchecked hate propaganda can embolden threats to public safety. We have never made claims about Mr. Leamen’s private affiliations or privately held beliefs.
Separately: we have also criticized the ongoing reluctance of local elected leaders to issue any statement clearly and explicitly denouncing neo-Nazi and white supremacist ideologies when they show up in our community. We are not claiming those elected officials are neo-Nazi sympathizers. We are documenting what has and hasn’t been said publicly. We do not speculate on people’s privately held beliefs. People can draw their own conclusions from the public record.