Chris Elston walked away from his career to do something most dads never imagine: travel the world wearing sandwich boards and starting conversations with strangers about gender ideology—all to protect his daughters and children all over the world. As gender ideology was rolled out widely across society, imperiling children, Chris decided to speak as a father against its harms. And in doing so, he helped spark a global conversation.
However, speaking the truth can come with a cost, from complaints to government censorship. This brave dad suffered both and more in Australia. But Chris stood up for his rights, and his recent legal victory sends a powerful message: free speech still matters, even when it crosses borders.
Who is Billboard Chris?
Chris Elston (known as “Billboard Chris”) is a Canadian father of two. He is best known for wearing sandwich boards to express truths about gender ideology and spur conversations with people about these messages. It is his mission to speak the truth about gender ideology to protect his children and children around the globe by raising awareness of its harms.
But his mission—and his freedom of speech—saw a challenge in Australia.
Billboard Chris’s case
In February 2024, Billboard Chris created a post on X criticizing the World Health Organization’s appointment of Teddy Cook, a female who identifies as a male, to a global transgender policy advisory board. However, a complaint by Cook to Australian authorities ultimately led to the post being geo-blocked in Australia by the government eSafety Commissioner. Billboard Chris, with the legal support of ADF International and the Australian Human Rights Law Alliance, and alongside Elon Musk’s “X”, appealed the violation of his right to peacefully share his convictions.
Thankfully, after a week-long hearing on the case, the court ruled in July 2025 that Billboard Chris did not intend to cause harm and therefore cannot be censored. Even though the post may have been offensive to some, that did not mean it must be taken down.
Why is this win important?
Billboard Chris’s win is encouraging for two reasons:
- First, this victory sets a positive trajectory for free speech amidst a growing trend of censorship. While global and digital censorship are attempting to restrict speech across borders, this win is an effective pushback against it, setting an important precedent to protect free speech from encroaching governments.
- Second, it shows that ordinary people can make a difference. Billboard Chris, a Canadian dad, exercised his freedom of speech for positive change, meaning other regular citizens around the world can do the same. The right to speak freely is fundamental. When ordinary people like Billboard Chris are willing to take a stand, not only can their speech be protected, but this helps open dialogue to flourish everywhere.
Alliance Defending Freedom continues to work around the world with different governments and with brave clients like Chris to protect the right of people everywhere to live and speak the truth.
Countering a global trend of censorship
ADF is pushing back against authorities that are making efforts to censor people, including those that are not their own citizens.
For example, the Digital Services Act (DSA) is one of the most dangerous censorship regimes of the digital age, creating a legal framework for censorship on platforms and search engines that are widely used in the European Union. The system has “trusted flaggers” that look for “illegal content” and send notices to the platforms—regardless of where they are based—to remove the “illegal content.” The DSA allows censorship of what it deems “disinformation” or “hate speech” rather than allowing for open discussion. It opts for suppression of speech rather than promoting the open sharing of ideas, especially ones that are potentially controversial. Because the DSA applies to “very large online platforms,” like X, Meta, and others, it could censor speech not just in Europe, but also across the world.
However, Billboard Chris’s win shows that free speech can be protected and thrive around the world when we stand up for our rights. As governments seek to widen their censorship laws, they can see Billboard Chris’s case as a reason to protect freedom rather than restrict speech.
Another ADF International client, Päivi Räsänen in Finland, is no stranger to censorship. Päivi was accused of “hate speech” when she created a post on X (Twitter at the time) about her church sponsoring an LGBT event, paired with a Bible verse. The post posed a question, a generator of thought and discussion. It is an example of how free speech can help people think through their beliefs and actions. Rather than a discussion of biblical sexuality, though, Päivi faced the allegation that she engaged in “hate speech.” Two different lower courts have unanimously acquitted Päivi of the “hate speech” charges. However, the state prosecutor appealed, and now her case is pending before the Finnish Supreme Court—all for a Bible-verse tweet.
Päivi, like Billboard Chris, is standing bravely for the truth and for free speech, and we have been alongside her the entire way, coordinating her legal defense for over six years. Both Päivi and Chris have seen free speech prevail, even if that speech is something others find hard to hear. Their speech is meant to foster discussion and discovery of the truth. Governments should think carefully before censoring speech.
ADF is committed to the defense of free speech, supporting the legal defense of those subject to unjust censorship. We hope and pray Päivi will again experience victory when the Finnish Supreme Court hears her case, further limiting censorship and unjust government punishment.
Government censorship has no place in a free society
Censorship creates an environment of fear and gives a voice only to what government officials like or see as popular. But conversations allow us to wrestle with issues and discover the truth about them. It is free speech—not censorship—that allows freedom and truth to prevail.
With our legal support, Billboard Chris took a stand for the right of every human being to have a voice, a voice unencumbered by biased censorship. Thankfully, this win in Australia was a victory against global censorship. Authorities across the world should take note and recognize that every person has the right to live and speak the truth.
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