Mayor Ford says he’s skipping Pride parade again

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has confirmed he won’t march in this summer’s Pride Parade, saying for the second year in a row that he’ll keep his family’s tradition of going to the cottage that weekend instead.

“No, no I’m not attending Pride,” he told reporters on Wednesday.

“It’s on Canada Day. I’m going up to the cottage with my family like I’ve done for as far I can ...” he said, before trailing off.

Mr. Ford left the door open to attending other Pride Week festivities. “We’ll see,” he said, adding he takes his schedule “event by event.”

Mr. Ford said much the same thing last year.

In the end, he didn’t appear at a single Pride event, despite intense public pressure and a private meeting with Toronto Maple Leafs General Manager Brian Burke, whose late son was gay.

Councillor Adam Vaughan, a frequent critic of Mr. Ford, said the mayor is entitled to a private life, including a weekend away at the cottage.

But he doesn’t want to see Mr. Ford “snub” the entire celebration again this year, especially with World Pride coming to Toronto in 2014.

“If he misses the parade and attends the flag-raising, I think we’ll all see that as a step forwards,” Mr. Vaughan said.

Original Article
Source: Globe
Author:  Kelly Grant