From Online Anti-Gender Groups to Offline Protests: Analyzing Mobilization in the “1 Million March 4 Children” Movement in Canada
Date
2025-07
Authors
Guo, Yue
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Mount Saint Vincent University
Abstract
This study examines how supporters of the anti-gender movement “1 Million March for Children” use social media to articulate arguments, engage with opponents, build trust, and mobilize offline protests. Through thematic analysis of 503 tweets tagged with #handsoffourkids from September 20, 2023, to October 21, 2023, the study identifies four main themes: clarifying arguments and trust-building, mobilizing supporters and calls to action, counterstrategy, and trust-destroying and trust-building narratives. The findings indicate that supporters enhance group cohesion and public trust by emphasizing patriotism, diversity, and unity, and framing parental rights in moral and emotional terms. They articulate positions on LGBTQ+ issues, sex education, and broader political matters, fostering in-group solidarity. Notably, a significant portion of the data employs counterstrategies aimed at delegitimizing opponents through accusations of child sexualization, grooming, violence, hatred, pathologization, political extremism, censorship, and dishonesty.
Though limited to tweets from the supporters of the movement, this research provides timely, valuable insights into Canada’s contemporary anti-gender mobilization. The real-time social media data analysis offers an essential primary-source perspective, laying groundwork for future studies and highlighting critical issues for scholars and policymakers.