Rob Ford’s vague plans keep him from the raising of the rainbow flag. Again.

Though his likeness made an appearance, Rob Ford himself was “unavailable” for the raising of the Pride flag at city hall yesterday—which is not surprising, given that he said he wouldn’t show and didn’t last year. But the vague excuse of having to do something somewhere was still disappointing, given that his unexpected presence at a gay-outreach event last month felt like progress. Instead, Kristyn Wong-Tam hosted the noon-hour event that kicks off Pride Week. It was also attended by 25 other councillors, including Ford supporters like Michael Thompson, Frances Nunziata and Doug Holyday, who said it would have been “appropriate” for Ford to show his face at the event. That’s true—but we trust that Pride will still manage to be one of the summer’s liveliest events, with or (more realistically) without the mayor. [Globe and Mail]