Rob Ford won’t attend Toronto’s international World Pride event, just because
In past years, Rob Ford has used his family’s annual Canada Day trip to Muskoka as an excuse for skipping the Pride Parade, but on Wednesday night, at the first mayoral debate of the 2014 election, he offered a different rationale. “I am not going to go to Pride,” he said. “I’ve never been to a Pride parade. So I’m not going to change the way I am.” This is especially noteworthy because this year Toronto will be hosting World Pride, an international Pride celebration.
As a point of reference, this is what it looked like the last (and only) time Ford attended a Pride event. Maybe he’s just a shy guy who frequently gets over his shyness long enough to do socially challenging things like dance in crowded nightclubs and run for political office. Given his past comments on LGBT issues, though, it seems more likely that he sees homosexual relationships as weird and embarrassing.
But he’s not going to change to the way he is—so he has that much in common with gay voters, at least. Rob Ford, this one’s for you:
UPDATE: And now Pride Toronto says Ford wasn’t necessarily invited, anyway.
Executive director of Pride Toronto Kevin Beaulieu says Ford's snub was "presumptuous." "We haven't invited him yet."
— Ben Spurr (@BenSpurr) February 6, 2014
![](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://torontolife.com/city/rob-ford-wont-attend-pride/&title=Rob Ford won’t attend Toronto’s international World Pride event, just because&picture=https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/rob-ford-versus-pride-624x395.jpg&description=[caption id="attachment_258458" align="alignnone" width="656"] (Image: Ford: Christopher Drost; Flag: Les Chatfield)[/caption]
In past years, Rob Ford has used his family's annual Canada Day trip to Muskoka as an excuse for skipping the Pride Parade, but on Wednesday night, at the first mayoral debate of the 2014 election, he offered a different rationale. "I am not going to go to Pride," he said. "I've never been to a Pride parade. So I’m not going to change the way I am." This is especially noteworthy because this year Toronto will be hosting World Pride, an international Pride celebration.
As a point of reference, this is what it looked like the last (and only) time Ford attended a Pride event. Maybe he's just a shy guy who frequently gets over his shyness long enough to do socially challenging things like dance in crowded nightclubs and run for political office. Given his past comments on LGBT issues, though, it seems more likely that he sees homosexual relationships as weird and embarrassing.
But he's not going to change to the way he is—so he has that much in common with gay voters, at least. Rob Ford, this one’s for you:
UPDATE: And now Pride Toronto says Ford wasn't necessarily invited, anyway.
https://twitter.com/BenSpurr/statuses/431458695164092416
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Face it, he’s in the closet, and it would be too much stress to be there. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10153874946100221&set=p.10153874946100221&type=1
What a pussy
I think the most telling quote is “I’m not going to change the way I am.”
Could be applied to a million things when it comes to this guy…
Why on earth would you want him there? Send him a letter saying you wouldn’t want him there even if he changed his mind
There is one aspect of this public statement that is of most concern.
At this juncture, Ford is stating this not just as a personal
objection, he is clearly making an appeal to all of those who would
agree with him due to their own prejudice.
What’s really sad is that conservative types like Ford and Harper are
getting elected in this country because they get the combined votes of
the greedy and moralistic.
To see these backwards thinkers in power is disheartening. We need
leaders who represent unity, progress and compassion, not divisiveness
and self-interest.
who cares, it is a free country and he is allowed to voice his opinion, and not attend if he so chooses. he isn’t bashing gays, he just isn’t in favour of a bunch of gays acting like lunatics half naked in the streets, it is ridiculous
I don’t go to Pride day, Not because I hate gays but because I’m not gay. I see no reason to endorse or condemn something that has nothing to do with me and I know Rob Ford feels the same way.
To endorse Gay Pride for strictly political reasons is hypocritical and that makes me respect Rob for his stance on it.
This is one of the largest events of its kind in the world that brings a huge amount of money into the city coffers. He doesn’t have to like it. If they had a World Cup event here would it be a good idea to say “I’m not going to it. I don’t like soccer, never have, and I’m not going to change my mind.” Although it’s far too late this is about acting like a mayor.
What I find really funny is, this worthless mayor approached me on Church Street the Pride event before he was elected. He wanted our votes, so he skipped his liitle excuse. Now that he is mayor, he can give a rats ass. Its not just the Pride revellers that he cares less for, its so much more than that!
Warren, I agree I would not want that thing there anyway.
He is a disgrace to the city.
There are plenty of things that are perfectly fine for private residents, but not okay for the mayor. The mayor is not a child but he still went to the Santa Claus Parade (until he was uninvited), he’s not Irish but he went to the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade, and so on.
The mayor’s job is to be the mayor of all Torontonians. Once again, Rob Ford is choosing not to do his job.
Why would u want someone there who doesn’t want to be there? It’s not that big of a deal even if he is there. The pride parade is for gay people to celebrate their sexuality and can be very uncomfortable for straight people. Hating on Ford for not going is just as bad as people hating on gays. Get over it, not everything is for everyone.
Being judged by ones actions (or non actions) is also par for the course in a free country. Including your above comment of course.
Yup. He was campaigning in the periphery of The Village during Pride 2010. Yet, between 2011-2013 he claimed he couldn’t attend Pride because of long-standing family commitments every year (also ignoring the fact that Pride is a week).
Rob Ford is the Mayor of a city with one of the world’s largest and most accepted LGBT communities. You aren’t. Nobody will make much judgement on your for not attending (nor should they), but it’s different for him as it would for any Mayor.
Trust me, there aren’t a million gay people in this city. The numbers swell to over a million largely thanks to the allies in the straight community. If Mayor Ford is “uncomfortable” around gays as you say, do you really think he has any business being the Mayor of one of the world’s largest gay cities?
get him out!! he’s a fucking piece of shit.
Well considering the fact he has no problem attending Caribana we can remove “acting like lunatics” and “half naked in the streets” from the list of Rob Ford’s objections to Pride.
So tell me, Gordon, what does that leave us with?
So the fact that Rob Ford attends Caribana despite not being Caribbean must cause you to respect him less.
Art Eggleton, whose mayoralty spanned the entire decade (1980-1991), never once attended a Pride festival. And yet it goes on and grows and grows. Ford isn’t harming anyone by not attending. Anyone who feels harmed is actually just intolerant of his rights and his belief system, wanting to flaunt theirs above his. Simple.