“They silenced me:” Cambridge teen interrupted by mayor during speech at Pride event

Cambridge’s mayor interrupted a teenager who was speaking at a Pride event. CTV’s Jeff Pickel reports.

The opportunity to address the community during a Pride event in Cambridge was a big deal for Sophie Mills.

“I was really excited to have a platform. I know it’s important, especially right now,” Mills, a 17-year-old non-binary teenager who uses they/them pronouns explained.

Mills said they were invited to the event by the city and was asked to speak about their experiences as a queer youth. However, they said that changed when they brought up City Councillor Adam Cooper during the speech.

“They asked me to share what I would like to be done about the community and then when I said something that they did not want me to say, they silenced me, they censored me and censorship is extremely dangerous,” Mills said.

During their speech on Monday, Mills said, “I have experienced many instances of exclusion and discrimination and bullying from my peers at school and from adults outside school, like when Ward Six Councillor Adam Cooper shared a transphobic meme. He did not apologize, nor was he –“

At that point, Mills was cut off by Cambridge Mayor Jan Liggett who approached Mills from behind and grabbed the microphone.

“Sophie, I’m not going to allow you to continue. It’s disrespectful,” Liggett said. “Can you remove that part of the speech? [Cooper has] already gone through what he needs to go through and I don’t think it’s helpful.”

Mills described the experience as scary and humiliating.

“Not only did it hurt my ego because this was my first big public speaking opportunity – it was scary. I did not enjoy that at all,” Mills said.

Cooper controversy

Cooper made headlines last year when he shared a meme on social media that is widely considered to be transphobic.

An integrity commissioner investigation was launched after Cooper posted an image on his personal Facebook account on Jan. 22. The image featured a person with teal hair along with the text, “He took my pronouns! I have to live in reality now!”

The image was published around the same time that U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order stating the U.S. government would only recognize a person’s sex as male or female.

The integrity commissioner said they received a large number of complaints about the post. After months of work, the investigation determined the Facebook post demeaned a specific group of people and did not uphold Cambridge’s Code of Conduct requirements.

The integrity commissioner recommended council formally reprimand Cooper and suspend his pay for ten days. Ultimately council voted in favour of the reprimand and a requirement that Cooper complete sensitivity training.

He has never publicly apologized for the post.

A growing rift

The incident has caused a major rift between the City of Cambridge and some members of its queer community.

Grand River Pride said it was asked to be part of the Pride event on Monday, but chose to stay away.

Grand River Pride co-founder Bryan Causarano-Bolton said they asked the city for details on steps they have taken to reconcile with the queer community but said the city did not respond.

“We knew that would mean this event was going to be performative, if they are not able to answer those questions about what work they’re doing,” said Causarano-Bolton.

Prior to the incident at Monday’s Pride event, Grand River Pride organized a separate flag raising event.

“Raising the flag at City Hall is false allyship, and a distraction from the lack of accountability from this administration - accountability we have demanded for over a year. Shame on you, Mayor Liggett. Cambridge deserves better,” Grand River Pride wrote in a statement.

Mills attended the Grand River Pride event and was able to deliver their full, unedited, speech.

“It was completely different, I was a lot more comfortable there,” Mills said.

CTV News reached out to Mayor Liggett but were told she would not be available for comment.