Thus far, Rob Ford’s admitted to smoking crack, has been caught on tape in violent rages and speaking drunken patois, and even tackled an old woman on camera. So at this point, homophobia’s kind of a drop in the bucket, ain’t it?
According to The Huffington Post, Ford was at a public forum at the U of T campus in Scarborough for the city’s mayoral candidates when the question of his Pride attendance came up. Apparently, Ford’s response was “I’m not going to go to the Pride parade . . . I’ve never gone to a Pride parade. So I’m not going to change the way I am.”
Because apparently, an integral part of Ford is “never going to the Pride parade.” Without that, he might as well be an entirely different person. Admittedly, he tried to write it off by saying going to the cabin every summer is a tradition for him, although he sure does have a way of scheduling this vacation literally every Pride.
Ignoring for a moment everything else Ford has done during his tenure, this doesn’t shine too positive a light on his position as mayor. It’s been said before, but whether he likes it or not, he is supposed to represent all of Toronto, and Pride is a pretty major part of Toronto. Practically every mayor has been to Pride at this point — even Mel Lastman! LASTMAN! — and Ford’s basically set himself up as the hold-out.
Look, we all know what the cabin trip is about: Ford doesn’t want to come to Pride. If that’s the case, he should just say so. It’s a choice, not an integral part of his very being. If he’s going to couch it as “it’s the way I am,” well . . . I’m not sure if he’s noticed this, but the way he is hasn’t been doing him any favours.
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