Rob Ford remains seated as rest of city council gives standing ovation to Pride staffers
Mayor Rob Ford, long criticized for his refusal to attend Toronto’s Pride Parade, stayed in his seat Wednesday as the rest of his council colleagues stood and applauded city staff for their work on the recent World Pride Festival.
Mr. Ford appeared to be the only one on city council not to join in the standing ovation. He remained glued to his seat several minutes later when the rest of council again stood, this time in appreciation of Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam, council’s only openly gay member and a key catalyst for the festival.
“It’s really quite unfortunate that Mayor Ford once again is just not decent in his approach,” Ms. Wong-Tam said afterward. “He couldn’t even bother to stand up. He couldn’t even fake it. It just tells you, this is the kind of guy he is.”
Mr. Ford’s relationship with the gay community has long been strained. During last winter’s Sochi Olympics, he tried to have city staff remove a rainbow flag flying outside City Hall. He has also been recorded making numerous homophobic remarks.
On Tuesday, he used a procedural measure to delay a council motion asking city staff to explore the possibility of creating dedicated shelter beds for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer/questioning and two-spirited youth. On Wednesday, Ms. Wong-Tam rose in council and asked him directly to release the motion, allowing a vote to go forward. He refused.
Ms. Wong-Tam said she asked Mr. Ford’s staff yesterday why he was holding the item. She didn’t get an answer.
“I anticipate that he’s going to stand up, probably make some homophobic comments, as he’s made, and probably vote against it,” she said
World Pride, a 10-day global festival, held in Toronto for the first time this year culminated in a mass LBGTQ wedding at Casa Loma. Mr. Ford, who was away in rehab, did not attend.
In an interview with CBC upon his return on June 30, he blamed his long record of homophobic, racist and sexist remarks on his addiction. “I think that goes along with having this disease,” he said. “It’s a chronic medical condition that I’ve never understood.”
Ms. Wong-Tam rejected that excuse Wednesday. “I think he’s lying,” she said. “I don’t become a racist just because I’m drunk. You either are racist, you either are homophobic, you either are misogynistic and that’s your core values.”
Mr. Ford’s staff did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Rob Ford remains seated as rest of city council gives standing ovation to Pride staffers
