No Pride in His City

No, Rob Ford doesn't hate gay people, as far as we know. He just has terrible scheduling and doesn't like to admit it.

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford's decision to skip the city's Pride Parade to go to a family reunion at a cottage in the Muskokas has, predictably, caused quite the stir in Hogtown, as he would be the first mayor in decades to avoid the massive festival. The Toronto Star's Royson James argues that “when a significant Toronto community stages an annual festival known around the world, the mayor's schedule is adjusted – no, designed – to accommodate it,” and that, by not dropping by, if even for a cursory photo op, Ford borders on contempt for the city he runs. Ford isn't homophobic for not marching, nor is he wrong to want to spend time with his family. But appearances are everything, and “if you are allergic to the mad cacophony of an integrated city then you don't run for mayor,” says James, “you opt for a more monochromatic municipality off the beaten track.”

Barbara Kay of the National Post defends Ford's decision, suggesting “there are times when family trumps political work, and [the Canada Day weekend] is, or should be, unarguably one of them.” Umm, no, no it isn't. Massive public holidays, and the city-sponsored events held during them, are one of the principle times that a mayor must sacrifice his family time for the demands of his office. (If he's skipping Toronto's Canada Day festivities as well, the argument rings even more true.) Kay then ruins a good Trudeau quote by saying Ford shouldn't have to be “literally dragged into those bedrooms and forced to admire the antics going on therein,” which misses the whole point. This isn't a gay issue, or a decency issue, it's an issue of a man not doing his job.

Which is essentially what Joe O'Connor contends, also in the National Post: “He is THE MAYOR of the largest city in Canada. He is the big cheese, and part of being the big cheese is always being on call and always showing up at major cultural events in your city.” O'Connor wonders why the Fords couldn't have just rescheduled their weekend getaway, as surely skipping a Monday in mid-July for a getaway to cottage country would be a little more politically astute then hightailing it for one of the city's busiest weekends – and one whose profits go a long way to compensate for the gravy-train spending Ford is so supposedly against.