For the past two years, Toronto Pride has been missing a pretty conspicuous public figure: Rob Ford. Granted, the queer community and Ford have never been overtly friendly, but the popular opinion has always been that Ford should at least make an effort to celebrate Pride and we would make an effort to make him feel welcome.
Well, after two years of no-shows, Doug Ford has claimed, in a talk to a Ryerson University law class, that brother Rob will, in fact, make an appearance at the raising of the Pride flag to kick off TO Pride, according to the Toronto Star.
“He’s gonna raise both flags; it’s a done deal,” Ford told the class.
AdvertisementFord and Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam were guest speakers at a law class titled Law, Business and Politics in the Real World, taught by Ralph Lean, a colourful political fundraiser who has said he’d be willing to help Ford’s next campaign. (Lean backed George Smitherman in the last election.)
“A big round of applause,” said Wong-Tam, council’s only openly gay member, in response to Doug Ford’s declaration.
While I’ve criticized Ford in the past, I’ll give him credit where credit is due here: this is a step in the right direction for him. His record on queer relations is still kinda *nyeh* (that is in no way the technical term for that, I know,) but . . . fuck it. I’m willing to extend the benefit of the doubt on this one. Maybe he’ll follow through and better himself; maybe not. But at least for now he’s doing well for himself. So let’s be good, upstanding LGBT folk and love and tolerate the shit out of him.
Why you can trust Xtra
