Rob Ford's Toronto

[Jonny5]

Caribana has way more sexual touching, grinding and decadent behaviour, than pride has ever had. Sure, Pride has some theatrics but the Caribana guys there are shameless, rubbing their erections all over women they don't even know. Gay guys are way to afraid of rejection, to ever attempt that. Most gay guys won't even say hello to a stranger. Those Caribbean guys have no fear of rejection, which I think is a good thing. I wish gay men had that kind of hutzpah. lol

While I agree with you that Caribana has a lot of extremely misogynistic guys, not all gay guys are timid and fearful. I had an interesting ride on the streetcar last night, getting touchy feely with some random cute boy I sat behind.

I only wish he got off at the same stop I did.

 

[nfitz]

Oh, this one is even more of a doozy than him hightailing it out of the city for the Pride parade...

Free nurses? No thanks, says Mayor Rob Ford

Not sure sure ... even I can see Ford's point here. Look how we got screwed with the free cops that they are now looking at having to lay off.

Unless they come with some kind of committed multi-decade funding guarantee, I fail to see why the province doesn't simply hire them, and second them to the city.

 

[grey]

That's no excuse. There are many events for 2 weeks during Pride. He could have gone to one of the quieter events, like the flag raising or something else, just as a good will gesture. Let's face it, Ford is just being a prick! He knows what message he is sending out to Toronto by doing this. He clearly is NOT the mayor for all Torontonians.

I'm not excusing him by any means. This is just what I think is probably the rationale for such a large snub to the gay community. It's not worth the negative noise it would create in the news -- a big spotlight on the downtown/suburban divide and his deteriorating popularity.

During the Santa Claus parade, Ford marched right through pinko-town, and was received warmly, at least where I was standing. Also, I recall that Mel Lastman was received very warmly at his first Pride parade, despite his earlier hesitation about participating.

Good lord, Rob Ford is making me miss Mel.

Both parades take place downtown, but consider the differences in demographics that each parade attracts. Also, the Santa Claus parade took place before he was even in office. And even back then, there were reports of boos during the parade, but nothing that really made the news as I recall... Nothing like I'd expect from the Pride parade at this point in time.

Same case with Lastman. It was his first parade, long before his outbursts reached critical mass and his staff wouldn't even let him speak in public anymore. Also, Mel was attacked with water guns (playfully) during his first Pride appearance, but his participation in that and subsequent parades was important in elevating the event beyond a mere fringe protest.

 

[SimonP]

The best/worst part is Doug Ford's arguments for him and his brother not being homophobes:

In the Globe:

"Rob picks up the phone he doesn’t ask people are you gay or are you straight, he goes and helps the people."

In the Star:

Doug Ford called allegations that his brother is homophobic “nonsense”, noting he has friends who are gay.

 

[gabe]

Rob Ford isn't a homophobe He just happens to have scheduling conflicts during the ENTIRE 10 days of pride

The Ford supporters comments in the Star are extremely repulsive.

 

[Eug]

Ford doesn't want to be at Gay Pride. So what? Just get over it already.

I personally think the festivities are often amusing, but that doesn't mean people should be forced to attend it, mayor or not.

 

[adma]

I think Ford attending the parade would invite an impressive chorus of boos that would surely make front page news despite the generosity of his participation. Probably a safer move to avoid it.

Frankly, I think "impressive chorus of boos" may be an understatement. I can see him fearing for his life.

Though I can see various Ford Nation emissaries (maybe not Holyday, let along Doug Ford, but certainly a Minnan-Wong or Stintz or Thompson) acquitting themselves perfectly fine at Pride...

 

[Roy G Biv]

Ford has been missing from every gay-related photo-op at City Hall.

 

[nfitz]

Frankly, I think "impressive chorus of boos" may be an understatement. I can see him fearing for his life.

Fear for his life at a flag-raising at City Hall? Really?

There was no excuse for being there ... other than being a gay-hating bigot.

The man isn't fit to work for the city - let alone run it.

 

[Eug]

Sorry, nfitz, but that's just hysterics. We know he's not a fan of same-sex relationships. He's expressed some of his discomfort with it before but he has realized (or shall I say his handlers have realized) that the best and most appropriate solution is to let Gay Pride be, and he can go do his own thing at his cottage.

I don't agree with his views here, but I respect his right to choose his actions. Just let him be too, and you can continue not voting for him in the future.

 

[GenerationW]

That's perhaps the most baffling decision I have ever seen any politician make.

Worse than (there goes his chance to be mayor of New York) Anthony Weiner?

Let's face it, Ford is just being a prick!

I only included this quote so I could write Anthony Weiner again.

 

[CanadianNational]

Ford's a type, and he's acting according to type. I'll leave it up to those readers to name it what they think it might be, but until he starts acting not according to type, the contempt will stick.

It's not just that he's not coming to Pride. That's not actually the big deal here. It's the culmination of this ignorant and vulgar statements about HIV/AIDS, his votes to turn down HIV funding, and his acceptances of endorsement from an anti-gay fundamentalist religionist during his campaign. Plus - dawdling on not signing the pride endorsement, and not showing for the flag raising. Not a great track record. This is another part of his 'type' - lazy, or, " thoroughly selectively active".
He's been hired and (although he still may be getting income from Deco - or have it stashed away) is being paid by the taxpayers of the city to do his job. He should do it. For fuck's sake, all he has to do is show up for a few minutes and smile.

As we all know, families and cottages are both closer to the woodsy, soothing natural order of things than lurid urban ones. Maybe when he's up there he can find a kitten or some other mascot to rescue and pet before the cameras on his return.

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

Two weeks ago Ford is on the record as saying that he had to check his calender when asked if he was attending the Pride parade. Yesterday Ford said that he's been going to the family cottage every year for the Canada Day weekend since he was a kid yet I seem to recall that he was in town campaigning at last year's Pride. If I read this correctly, he was handing out rainbow stickers at last year's Pride (campaigning for Mayor of course) which means he hasn't gone to the cottage every Canada Day weekend since he was a kid as stated.

 

[TonyV]

The mainstream journals (Star and Globe) have collectively given Ford a fairly stern (and in the case of the Globe on the front page, fairly severe) tongue-lashing. The Globe (Gee) has urged Ford to back up and reverse his decision, all the while reminding us that this city stands for inclusiveness. The Star has a similar theme although more muted than the Globe. The Post has a fairly neutral article, although they make mention of the condemnations that Ford has garnered for this decision.

For me, something else rankles. What kind of Torontonian is this Ford fella? I think a leader should be pro-Toronto and promote this city as the place to be, and not run from it. Family schmamily -- that is pure b.s. from a "leader". He's a phony, he won't be missed at the parade and he won't be missed when the voters boot his arse out of office in the next election.

 

[nfitz]

Sorry, nfitz, but that's just hysterics.

How is simply stating the truth hysterics?

We know he's not a fan of same-sex relationships.

Precisely ... and this alone makes him a bigot. It makes him unsuitable for public office. How can anyone defend such evil bigotry?

He's expressed some of his discomfort with it before but he has realized (or shall I say his handlers have realized) that the best and most appropriate solution is to let Gay Pride be, and he can go do his own thing at his cottage.

He's not at his cottage for the flag-raising event in city hall that he's boycotting.

I don't agree with his views here, but I respect his right to choose his actions.

If he was a private citizen - maybe. He isn't. He's the mayor. And he's a bigot. You can't be both. What he does sends a message to the world.

And the message is that Toronto is a city of bigots. That he is running the city shames us all.