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A small Canadian town and its public officials are being punished over a grave offense against the LGBTQ+ community for not flying the rainbow flag in celebration of “Pride” month.

Last month, the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario fined the town of Emo and Mayor Harold McQuaker for violating the Ontario Human Rights Code by not proclaiming June to be “Pride Month” and for failing to display the “an LGBTQ2 rainbow flag,” even though the town does not have an official flag pole.

In addition to the $10,000 fine for the township of around 1,300 people and $5,000 for McQuaker, the mayor and Emo’s chief administrative officer will be forced to undergo Orwellian “human rights” indoctrination courses,” according to the National Post.

The ruling capped off a lengthy legal process over events that took place in 2020 when the group Borderland Pride demanded that the town officially recognize “Pride Month.”

The written request was accompanied by a copy of a draft proclamation that included such language as “pride is necessary to show community support and belonging for LGBTQ2 individuals” and “the diversity of sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression represents a positive contribution to society.”

Borderland Pride also called for the town to fly the “LGBTQ2 rainbow flag for a week of your choosing.”

The group’s request failed to get the necessary support, going down by a 3-2 vote at an Emo township council meeting. At the meeting, Mayor
McQuaker noted that there was “no flag being flown for the other side of the coin… there’s no flags being flown for the straight people.”

Mayor McQuaker’s words triggered Human Rights Tribunal Vice-Chair Karen Dawson who condemned the line as being “demeaning and disparaging of the LGBTQ2 community of which Borderland Pride is a member and therefore constituted discrimination under the Code.”

Dawson claimed that the remark which was made in “close proximity” to the vote on Borderland Pride’s request, “constituted discrimination under the Code.”

Borderland Pride wanted a $15,000 fine for Emo as well as a $10,000 fine each for the three council members who dared to vote no.

Lawyer and Borderland Pride board of directors member Doug Judson said, “The important thing we were seeking here was validation … as 2SLGBTQA plus people.”

The mayor and the chief administrative officer were ordered to complete the online course “Human Rights 101” offered by the Ontario Human Rights Commission and to “provide proof of completion… to Borderland Pride within 30 days.”

The story drew national attention in the U.S. and X users shared their thoughts.

“I don’t think it’s a secret that the weaponization of hate targeting the queer community has been on the rise for the past number of years, at least the last four or five years, and particularly from the political right. We’re seeing a lot of this groomer rhetoric arise,” Judson said.

“Those of us who do this work have realized that we need to push back on this type of attack with force and we need to impose consequences,” he proclaimed. “As a lawyer who does this work that means I’m going to start taking people’s houses and their vehicles and their toys and draining their bank accounts and garnishing their wages because no one is going to stop behaving this way until there are real consequences. Until there’s real financial pain that attaches to it.”

“We’re going to keep doing that. Hopefully, the message will eventually get through that you have free expression, but that doesn’t mean freedom from consequences,” Judson vowed.

Chris Donaldson
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