To Irene Miller, who will march down Church St. on Sunday with moms, dads, sisters and brothers, Mayor Rob Ford’s absence would be a declaration.“He would be choosing his family over our family,” says the president of PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) Toronto, who waits in vain for Ford to answer her invitation to the Pride parade.
“We’re a safe place to march. We’re moms and dads wearing lots of suntan lotion, T-shirts and sensible shoes,” she said, adding it’s vital to send a message of equality to gays and straights.
“One in 10 hands he shakes every day are probably LGTB (lesbian, gay, transsexual or bisexual), and probably three or four in 10 know and support someone who is gay. I think he should represent every single person in the city.”
After Ford nonchalantly refused to commit to any Pride activities beyond a proclamation signed behind closed doors, he was caught off-guard by the resulting uproar.
His team scrambled to a “family values” narrative — the super-busy mayor was heading north for a few days to spend Canada Day with his clan. “My family comes first,” Ford told reporters. Added his mother Diane: “He just wants to spend time with his family.”
Despite the fact that Pride spans 10 days — and that Ford has a history of brow-raising statements about gays — the public comments on talk radio, blogs and news websites this week suggest his strategy has worked, somewhat.
The truth is that Toronto’s mayor is uncomfortable with the idea of being at a gay gathering, a source close to Ford told the Star. The mayor spurned advice to make a gesture in order to relieve the pressure, said the source, who would not speculate on the cause of Ford’s discomfort.
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Source: Toronto Star
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