EDMONTON—An Edmonton LGBTQ gym has temporarily closed its doors due to safety and security concerns after a member of a far-right group posted names and photos of gym members and trainers online, as well as links to their Facebook accounts.

It’s what appears to be the latest escalation in a feud that’s been going on for months.

Queerflex posted a statement on Facebook Thursday and their website forwarded to a landing page that said the gym was temporarily closed, effective Wednesday.

The Facebook statement said members of the Queerflex team and the gym itself were victims of doxxing, which is when personal information about individuals is posted online with malicious intent.

“QUEERFLEX takes any threats — direct or implied — to our members, contractors, volunteers, and anyone affiliated with our gym seriously … Although we have been assured by multiple channels that this small group has not been known to show themselves in person, we do not want to take any chances with anyone’s safety,” the statement reads.

Queerflex says it has met with the Edmonton police hate crimes unit, is working to increase the security of its building and is suspending all memberships to avoid any financial issues during the temporary closure.

“Incidents like these highlight not only the need for safe spaces for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community but the need to band together and support one another,” the statement reads. “We want to thank those who have been by our side, especially in the last few months, and we will keep our membership updated on our reopening.”

Edmonton police confirmed they are investigating the incident.

The individual accused of the doxxing is Ryan Dean, a man who was previously a member of far-right extremist groups Wolves of Odin and Canadian Infidels. Dean was one of several men who went to Edmonton’s Al-Rashid Mosque in January and confronted worshippers outside while wearing toques that said “infidel.” The mosque said it felt as though the incident was an attempt to provoke its members and reported the visit to police.

According to website Patriot Pride Canada Wide, which lists itself as “Canada’s alternative news source,” Dean is now a member of The Clann, a group with a similar far-right ideology. Dean calls himself a contributor to Patriot Pride Canada Wide. An August 14 post on the website includes a neo-Nazi slogan with slightly tweaked wording: “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for our children” it reads.

A Tuesday post on the website titled “Antifa training facilities exposed,” lists the address of Queerflex and the name of a person identified as a trainer.

In an interview with Star Edmonton, Dean said that he made the post, which also accuses members of the gym of being members of Antifa, a loose conglomeration of anti-Fascist groups that sometimes resort to violence. His post calls the gym a “training compound for domestic terrorist.”

“You probably were in tears of laughter watching a bunch of gender confused unicorns bouncing around slapping and kicking each other. But the reality is, this may be a breeding ground for Antifa Far Left Terrorism,” the post reads.

Dean told Star Edmonton that he made the post in response to activists papering Whyte Avenue with posters featuring photos and information about him and saying that he’s a “danger to the public.”

“They put our lives at risk every day … we’re just turning the tables and fighting back and giving them a taste of their own medicine,” he told Star Edmonton.

He added that he’s not homophobic or transphobic and denied having extreme views. He said he targeted the gym because they’re training “known Antifa members” to fight.

“They’re going to try and flip it and say it’s an attack on the LGBT (community). Well, no, it’s not. It’s an attack on Antifa and its associates and they just so happen to be associated with LGBT members,” Dean said.

He acknowledged that posting the information on his blogs could “probably” cause people to fear for their safety.

A second post on Tuesday goes into further detail about the gym and lists additional members.

It’s not the first time Dean has clashed with a group of Edmonton activists who describe themselves as anti-racist concerned community members.

The two sides have been posting information about each other online for months. A Facebook group belonging to the Edmonton activists, called “Concerned Community Members” has posted Dean’s photo several times. The posts describe him as a neo-Nazi who holds anti-LGBTQ views.

When Edmonton writer and activist Paula Kirman’s photo and identity was posted on Patriot Pride Canada Wide, she said it prompted her to temporarily shut down her website.

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

Bridget Stirling, an Edmonton public school trustee and co-founder of Hate Free YEG, has said her interactions with the group have caused her to fear walking around her community.

“I have had to duck into stores and hide when I see them coming down the street because he’s been blogging for months calling me an antifa terrorist and threatening me,” she said in a message to Star Edmonton.

Queerflex did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.

Read more about: