We are hypocrites. It’s high time that we face this reality and release ourselves from our cozy but illusory blanket of equity, diversity and inclusiveness in Toronto.
Each time we turn a blind eye to sexism, racism, homophobia and all other forms of discrimination, we reinforce our own mantle of hypocrisy. And in this past 2014 election season, we showed our true colours (pardon the pun) — quite ironically, via an exercise that is meant to be the foremost symbol of equal democratic representation and respect for the rights of all people.
The attacks on female candidates at all levels in this municipal election have been nothing short of outrageous. Ausma Malik, a school board candidate in the Trinity-Spadina ward, was subject to a prolonged series of verbal attacks in print, online and in person. Her crime? Being Muslim, wearing a hijab, and daring to run for public office. Similarly, Ward 2 candidate Munira Abukar’s campaign signs were vandalized, defaced with profanity, and the words “go back home” scribbled on.
Attacks based on gender, race and religion were only compounded by homophobic attacks against Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam. The councillor received a number of threatening letters, including one purporting to be from a member of Ford Nation stating, “I hope you get AIDS and die... we don’t want any faggots like you in public office.”
Perhaps the most shocking of all is the blind eye that we have turned to these events, both as private citizens and at the institutional level. Our silence only begets the further entrenchment of misogyny and discrimination. It’s easy to privately and quietly shake our heads at the kind of ignorance that assumes all Muslims are immigrants, terrorists and/or somehow unfit for public office. But if we take no action, we have no right to make a claim of “Diversity Our Strength” as our motto, or continue to advertise ourselves as such. In so doing, we are all collectively ignorant.
Mayoral candidate Olivia Chow experienced attacks throughout her electoral campaign. The blatantly sexist and racist Toronto Sun cartoon depicting a slanty-eyed Chow wearing a Mao suit and riding on Jack Layton’s coattails was merely the icing on the cake in a campaign littered with discriminatory attacks. As this public confirmation of institutional misogyny made its way to Toronto doorsteps, Postmedia CEO (and soon-to-be-owner of the Sun) Paul Godfrey defended the cartoon, noting that Ms. Chow should “smile and move on.”
For far too long, women in this city, province and country have swallowed whatever discrimination came their way. And now, in the very city that prides itself on its diversity, we’re even being told to do it with a smile.
One can’t help but wonder what the response would have been had the candidate in question been Chinese-Canadian and male. But when even a mayoral candidate is able to use sexist language against female members of the media with impunity, the sheer gall of “smile and move on” becomes less surprising. Sexism in this day and age? No big deal.
Our public institutions are complicit in the non-enforcement of laws that purportedly prevent this type of behaviour. There was no official condemnation of any of these incidents. Yet they took place in the context of a public activity and they violated The City of Toronto Human Rights and Anti-Harassment/Discrimination Policy, the Ontario Human Rights Code, the Criminal Code of Canada and Canadian Human Rights Act. It’s time to stop sitting on our legislative laurels and put our money where our mouths are.
As a society, we are complicit in our continued acceptance of a public space in which these attacks can even happen. Institutional change is definitely needed. But we also need to take a long hard look at ourselves, at the kind of society that we want to live in, and what equity and inclusiveness really mean to us It’s up to us to hold institutions accountable and to make the racists and misogynists smile and move on, or at least keep their thoughts to themselves.
Source: thestar.com/
Author: Kara Santokie
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