Activist 'Billboard Chris' reflects on violence he's been met with protesting gender surgeries for children

Activist Chris Elston says the attacks he's faced in the past three years are worth the cost of protecting children from what he believes is "the worst child abuse scandal in modern medicine history."

"A little bit of violence is not that big of a deal when you compare this to what's going on with kids. So I'll take it," he told Fox News Digital.

More popularly known as "Billboard Chris," Elston has traveled across his homeland of Canada, the United States and Europe having conversations while wearing billboards with messages protesting puberty blockers and gender surgeries for children. 

He shares videos of these encounters, which sometime turn violent, on his Twitter account.

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Conservative activist "Billboard Chris" assaulted by trans person at a pro-trans rally in Vancouver (Screenshot/Twitter)

"I got attacked by Antifa in Montreal, jumped by six people," Elston told Fox News Digital. He said he's also been punched over a dozen other times, had his arm broken, equipment vandalized and been arrested twice by police after getting assaulted.

The father of two girls explained he was moved to take action after learning that puberty blockers were being given to minors with gender dysphoria in 2019. As he researched the issue, he discovered that data out of the largest gender clinic for children in the UK found most patients were autistic, had suffered sexual abuse or had other severe mental health comorbidities.

Studies from decades past discovered that 80 percent of kids with gender dysphoria grew out of it after going through puberty, according to Elston.

However, top medical organizations and professionals have defended prescribing hormones and other "gender-affirming care" to minors who believe they were born in the wrong body.

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Chloe Cole shares her story about being subjected to 'gender-affirming care.' (YouTube/Screenshot)

GLAAD, The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, has reported, "At least 30 leading professional medical associations have issued statements supporting health care for transgender people and youth," including the American Academy of Pediatrics. The American Medical Association also recently passed a resolution "to protect access to evidence-based gender-affirming care for transgender and gender-diverse individuals" as more conservative states seek to ban the practice. 

Elston believes it's "not controversial" to be against these treatments. "We need to stop being afraid. We have a total righteous cause on our side. We shouldn't be sterilizing children and cutting off their body parts. It's not controversial at all."

A growing movement of teens and adults who've "detransitioned" after altering their bodies to live as the opposite gender have started sharing their stories of regret with the public. Chloe Cole, 18, shared with Fox News Digital that she still experiences painful side effects from her double mastectomy at 15 years old and fears that the testosterone she took for years will affect her ability to carry a child to term.

Through his activism Elston hopes to raise questions about these medical interventions he believes are akin to "child abuse."

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Protesters of Kentucky Senate Bill SB150, known as the Transgender Health Bill, cheer on speakers during a rally on the lawn of the Kentucky Capitol in Frankfort, Ky., March 29, 2023.  (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

Opponents, he says, often try to silence him or refuse to engage and defend their views.

"A big part of this for me is our freedom of speech. We should be able to talk about anything, but we should especially be able to talk about issues that are harming kids, causing irreversible damage to children," he said. "[S]o my question always is, why can't we talk about this? If you're on the side of truth and science and love, why can't you have a simple conversation? This is like a cult that's permeated all of society. But who we really need to reach are the moderates, because a lot of them still don't know what's going on."

"Billboard Chris" spoke with Fox News Digital about his activism against puberty blockers and gender surgeries for children.  (Fox News Digital)

The community criticizing the gender movement is growing and becoming more diverse than people think, he explained. 

"I easily get north of 90 percent support –people from all walks of life, including the Democrats," he said. "My number one demographic, which supports me when I'm out on the street, are Black men, followed very closely by White men and Black women, I would say, and the Hispanic community. This is primarily being pushed by White leftists. So people of color are not supporting this ideology at all. "

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Elston says a growing number of Muslim parents have protested with him in Canada. (Asra Normani)

He claimed some of the biggest pushback was coming from the Muslim community. 

"They're not afraid to talk about this because this goes against their religion," he said. Elston argued that Christian pastors were, in contrast, "failing miserably" at addressing the issue.

"Christians and their pastors are failing miserably. These pastors aren't leading anybody, but the Muslim community is getting very outraged," he said.  

Elston said he was encouraged to see more young people standing up to gender ideologies in their schools as well.

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The father of a 16-year-old swimmer said she was barred from her swim team at the YMCA after protesting trans people allowed in the girl's locker room. (Photo courtesy State Freedom Caucus) (State Freedom Caucus)

Elston stressed that the last three years have been "overwhelming a positive experience" where he's had "a lot of amazing conversations." He has hope for the future as he sees the pushback against gender ideology growing, even as blue states are passing laws to protect transgender treatments for minors.

"A year and a half ago, it was just me and 200 counterprotesters at this place I went to in Ottawa, Canada, the capital. And then a month ago, almost 500 people came out with me. I expect more than a thousand with me in Toronto in a month and a half," he explained.

Kristine Parks is an associate editor for Fox News Digital. Read more.