Canadian Mayor Won't be 'Bullied' Into Paying Fine for Not

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My PJ Media colleagues Sarah Anderson and Ben Bartee have both covered the incredible story of the Ontario Human Rights Commission fining a tiny town $15,000 for “discrimination” because Mayor Harold McQuaker is refusing to fly the Pride flag or acknowledge Pride month at the behest of a local LGBTQ group.

“I find that $15,000 is an appropriate level of compensation for Borderland Pride’s injury to dignity, feelings and self-respect,” Ontario adjudicator Karen Dawson wrote in her decision. Borderland Pride is a “2SLGBTQIA+ Pride organization serving the Rainy River District in Northwestern Ontario, Canada and Koochiching County in Minnesota.” They demanded the tiny town bend to their will and the will of the Ontario tribunal or suffer the consequences.

In addition to the fine, McQuaker and his city administrator are being forced to attend LGBTQ sensitivity training, i.e. brainwashing sessions. No Communist society should be without them.

McQuaker, a crusty 77-year-old Canadian, is quietly resisting. The town council will meet to decide whether they will pay the fine assessed by the Ontario Human Rights Council.

“I have a lot of respect for our four councillors,” said the mayor. “We have a special meeting of council, and they will decide that and what to do next. Either pay the fine or appeal it?”

McQuaker gently pointed out that one of the reasons they won’t fly a Pride flag is because they can’t.

“I don’t hate anybody,” he said. “We just don’t have a flagpole at our town hall.”

Toronto Sun:

Borderland Pride, however, called not granting the motion a “bigoted and discriminatory decision.”

An open letter from the group’s co-chair and director, Douglas W. Judson, asked council to publish an “apology,” have “diversity and inclusion training for council, and a commitment to adopt Pride proclamations in the future without stripping out their 2SLGBTQIA+-affirming language.”

The letter also suggests “Borderland Pride will donate one-third of the financial compensation paid to us by the municipality directly to the Emo Public Library, on the condition that it host a drag story time event, free to all to attend, on a date of our choosing this year.”

Well, that’s not going to happen.

“I did not do anything wrong,” McQuaker countered. “[If] anybody needs training it’s the LGBTQ2+ to quit pushing their weight around and make demands that people can’t live with.”

The entire weight of the Ontario provincial government has fallen on this town of about 1,400 people in a brutal display of power politics.

“I am a husband to my wife for 51 years, father of two, a grandfather of seven and a great grandfather of one,” McQuaker said. “I consider myself a very reasonable person and a good leader for our community and I would have a lot of support if there was an election.”

“I will not be extorted,” he added.

“What we are seeing is a public temper tantrum from a public office holder who has been emboldened by the pattern of attacks on institutions and the rule of law from the political right,” Borderland Pride said in a statement.

Not much of a “temper tantrum” from a 77-year-old, soft-spoken Canadian.