Liberal Gay agenda once again pushed on the mayor!

[Michael Hardner]

And do you honestly think he'd be welcomed and accepted?

Mel Lastman was when he reluctantly participated for the first time.

[Guest Manny]

In Iran gays would be hung.

Really.

[Argus]

Mel Lastman was when he reluctantly participated for the first time.

Lastman was practically a Communist compared to Rob Ford, at least if you listen to the lefty types. They despise Ford. If I was Ford's political adviser I'd be doing everything I could to keep him away from hostile crowds where there are tons of cameras around. You can damned sure there'd be plenty of people there looking to create embarrassing incidents. Don't tell me all the lefties on this site wouldn't be gleeful at a news video of a stricken Rob ford sitting in front of some gay guy in leather wearing nothing but chaffs grinding his bare ass around six inches in front of Ford's face.

[Shakeyhands]

Don't tell me all the lefties on this site wouldn't be gleeful at a news video of a stricken Rob ford sitting in front of some gay guy in leather wearing nothing but chaffs grinding his bare ass around six inches in front of Ford's face.

I'll admit that I would laugh, but I would also laugh if it was a left leaning politician, I'm equal opportunity that way....

[Guest Peeves]

Really.

Really.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/06/gay-men-hanged_n_951162.html

But that's minor news compared to A Toronto mayor ignoring a parade huh.

[Savant]

I know I'm late to the party, but I don't see how people can suggest that Ford's decision to go to his cottage somehow means he disproves of gays. He's also skipping Canada Day celebrations, does this mean he 'hates Canada'? There are festivities at Mel Lastman Square on Canada Day, and Mayor Ford won't be there. He wasn't there last year either.

Furthermore, I don't think Ford should go anywhere NEAR the Pride Parade so long as there is even a hint that QuAIA might show up (as they have done for the last few years). Yeah Rob Ford is the mayor of all citizens, and that includes the Jewish.

While I do think he should do the flag raising, I don't think he should be pressured into attending or criticized for not attending the parade.

[Black Dog]

The definition of any variation of "pedant" should include: "most overly used word on internet forums by those who best represent the characteristics themselves."

Ah the classic "I know you are but what am I?" defense, beloved by grade schoolers everywhere.

...

And isn't expecting the gay vote since he ran against Smitherman, a gay icon. Whether he attends the Pride parade or not, matters not a damn in so far as votes go. He will likely gain as many as he loses which ever way he goes.

Personally I don't care if he attends or not, but I do respect a person that stands on their convictions in the face of political posturing by those from the left out to fault what ever he does.

I will fault him if he attends even while laws are being broken.

What convictions are those pray tell?

I thought he didn't want to miss his cottage time.

[Black Dog]

Really.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/06/gay-men-hanged_n_951162.html

But that's minor news compared to A Toronto mayor ignoring a parade huh.

And yet shit like that just proves the importance of continuing to draw attention to inequality and oppression. In other words, this is exactly why we still need Pride as a political platform.

[Black Dog]

All politicians... Okay, most politicians are in constant campaign mode (maybe I'm a cynic, but when I see a politician at Pride, I can't help but think he or she is there, at least in part, with the next election in mind); it's just that the majority of them tone it down between one drop of the writs and the next. But, yea, Ford does seem to be constantly stuck in campaign high gear.

Obviously Ford's made his priorities known, and "queer culture" isn't amongst the top (then again, what culture is important to him, other than "jock culture"?). That's okay by me, personally, though. If he were openly hostile towards people who don't identify as "straight", then that'd be a different matter. So far as I can tell, he hasn't been.

I don't disagree, but his handling of this says everything about what kind of politician Ford is. He doesn't have to get up on a float and grind with some leather daddies. All he has to do is read a proclamation, pose for a photo with a rainbow flag and all the negative stuff goes away. But he'd rather continue to look like a total asshole by not even acknowledging Pride (an event that brings a lot of money into this city) than risk alienating his base of homophobes. Either he's a homophobe himself, or he's exaggerating the political costs of even a small conciliatory gesture.

[Guest American Woman]

Ah the classic "I know you are but what am I?" defense, beloved by grade schoolers everywhere.

More proof!*

*You might want to consider finding a new word to make you feel smart.

[Black Dog]

More proof!*

*You might want to consider finding a new word to make you feel smart.

I don't need a new word to feel smart. I just read one of your posts.

[Guest American Woman]

I don't need a new word to feel smart. I just read one of your posts.

[Guest Peeves]

I don't disagree, but his handling of this says everything about what kind of politician Ford is. He doesn't have to get up on a float and grind with some leather daddies. All he has to do is read a proclamation, pose for a photo with a rainbow flag and all the negative stuff goes away. But he'd rather continue to look like a total asshole by not even acknowledging Pride (an event that brings a lot of money into this city) than risk alienating his base of homophobes. Either he's a homophobe himself, or he's exaggerating the political costs of even a small conciliatory gesture.

than risk alienating his base of homophobes. Either he's a homophobe himself, or he's exaggerating the political costs of even a small conciliatory gesture.

That's quite a leap and a charge unsubstantiated by any history or facts unless you can provide some.

Ford could (as I ) have no homophobic reasons for not attending Pride.

There are issues that I disagree with in the parade that have nothing to do with homophobia.

Breaking laws on nudity.

Exposing children to both repugnant exhibitionism and law breaking.

and a personal matter, that of denigration of Israel by a group within the parade.

I would certainly not support such a parade for reasons having nothing to do with homophobia and I

get properly bored with those using the label when anyone disagrees.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2011/07/04/to-pride-israeli-apartheid-quaia-mammoliti.html

[Black Dog]

That's quite a leap and a charge unsubstantiated by any history or facts unless you can provide some.

Ford could (as I ) have no homophobic reasons for not attending Pride.

As a fringe counselor, Ford repeated voted against motions benefiting the gay community, such as AIDS funding, is on record as opposing gay marriage, and, as I've shown here, has actively avoided any participation in any Pride events, even those held by the City. This shit adds up.

There are issues that I disagree with in the parade that have nothing to do with homophobia.

Breaking laws on nudity.

Exposing children to both repugnant exhibitionism and law breaking.

and a personal matter, that of denigration of Israel by a group within the parade.

Blah blah, dealt with already.

I would certainly not support such a parade for reasons having nothing to do with homophobia and I get properly bored with those using the label when anyone disagrees.

Not everyone who doesn't like Pride is ipso facto a homophobe, but all homophobes don't like Pride.

[huh]

It isnt enough for straight people to accept gay people, you have to celebrate them, or your a bigot.

[bleeding heart]

What convictions are those pray tell?

I thought he didn't want to miss his cottage time.

Ah, to have it both ways at once. The internet debater's grandest dream.

[Michael Hardner]

It isnt enough for straight people to accept gay people, you have to celebrate them, or your a bigot.

I'm pretty sure it's enough to accept them.

[cybercoma]

It isnt enough for straight people to accept gay people, you have to celebrate them, or your a bigot.

Yes because this discussion about Rob Ford is about every straight couple in Canada.

[mentalfloss]

Yes because this discussion about Rob Ford is about every straight couple in Canada.

And them being bigots for not attending pride.

[Michael Hardner]

And them being bigots for not attending pride.

BD seems to be the main proponent of the idea that he's a bigot and he's listed a few reasons that you could debate if you wanted to.

[Argus]

I don't disagree, but his handling of this says everything about what kind of politician Ford is. He doesn't have to get up on a float and grind with some leather daddies. All he has to do is read a proclamation, pose for a photo with a rainbow flag and all the negative stuff goes away.

I'm going to go out on not much of a limb and suggest it was his media/PR guy who told him to skip the parade in the first place due to a fairly predictable amount of public, and probably embarrassing anti-Ford behaviour which would be shown him if he ever went near a gay pride parade.

[Argus]

As a fringe counselor, Ford repeated voted against motions benefiting the gay community, such as AIDS funding, is on record as opposing gay marriage, and, as I've shown here, has actively avoided any participation in any Pride events, even those held by the City. This shit adds up.

Ford is considered conservative, right? Most conservatives would say that the city has no business funding AIDS treatment/research or anything else similar. Why would a city be funding this sort of thing? It's not their responsibility. Does the city fund Cancer research? As for being opposed to gay marriage, most religious people are.

[Black Dog]

I'm going to go out on not much of a limb and suggest it was his media/PR guy who told him to skip the parade in the first place due to a fairly predictable amount of public, and probably embarrassing anti-Ford behaviour which would be shown him if he ever went near a gay pride parade.

I guess you didn't read the post you quoted.

He doesn't have to get up on a float and grind with some leather daddies. All he has to do is read a proclamation, pose for a photo with a rainbow flag and all the negative stuff goes away.

IOW he doesn't have to go to the parade at all.

[Argus]

I guess you didn't read the post you quoted.

IOW he doesn't have to go to the parade at all.

Maybe. But now, due to howls from the mob, that would be seen as giving in to his opponents. It's kind of hard to see how he comes out ahead in that. The opponents are not going to love him one bit more for doing so. While a probably sizable contingent of religious people/social conservatives would be disappointed in him for backing down.

[Black Dog]

Maybe. But now, due to howls from the mob, that would be seen as giving in to his opponents. It's kind of hard to see how he comes out ahead in that.

Yeah hard to see how he would look good by, uh, compromising. What?

The opponents are not going to love him one bit more for doing so.

No, but they might at least stop thinking of him as a raging homophobe and go back to thinking of him as a raging idiot like before.

While a probably sizable contingent of religious people/social conservatives would be disappointed in him for backing down

Who else are they going to vote for?