07.04.2011 12:49 PM

A million is a lot of votes

This buffoon has now signalled, definitively, that he thinks some Canadians are more equal than others. He wanted to send you that message, and he did that.

So, now you need to send a message right back at Rob Ford. Start organizing against him; raise money; recruit others; do everything you can to ensure that there is a candidate who will beat this troglodyte at the ballot box.

Leaders are supposed to bring people together, not drive them apart. This man is a disgrace, and he needs to be taught a lesson.

Let’s do it.

51 Comments

  1. Ted says:

    Warren for mayor!

  2. WildGuesser says:

    If the main attack point against Ford in the next election is that he decided to spend a long summer weekend at the cottage rather than at the Gay Pride Parade, I suspect he’d be ok with that. Really not seeing why this is anymore significant than if he skipped the Santa Claus Parade to go on a ski week-end.

    • Ted says:

      You can bet that if there was a week long Christmas festival that led up to the Santa Claus parade and Ford skipped out on every single event because he wanted to have a mini-vacation away from us poor riff raff, you would hear it all over the city, especially from right wingers, about his insult to Christians and his hatred for kids. And that’s even with no tradition of the mayor walking in the Santa Claus parade.

      But bring in a million plus people over a whole week, spending millions and millions of dollars right into the pockets of ordinary hardworking Canadians and, rather than help promote more of that, he has to skip out on every single event for a weekend of elitist escapism.

      • Pete says:

        While I am not a pride parade participant I agree with your economic analysis wshich is why red neck rob should have been there.

  3. The Doctor says:

    I did wonder about this part of the article:

    “Ms. Wong-Tam is less optimistic.

    ‘I can’t help but feel in my gut that we are going backwards in terms of social equality,’ she said. ”

    What’s her evidence for that?

    • JenS says:

      The thing about gut feelings is that they and evidence are mutually exclusive. It’s what a ‘gut feeling’ is.

      • The Doctor says:

        Great. Well, my gut tells me that the moon is made of green cheese, and that a race of alien lizard people secretly rules the earth. I guess we can ascribe as much cred to that as we should to Ms. Wong-Tam’s gut feeling.

  4. WDM says:

    That fellow with the radio show should run! John whatshisname.

    Get on that Warren, 3.5 years to convince him.

  5. Nuna D. Above. says:

    Why has no one talked about who was appearing at the Parade for the last several days? You can’t buy this kind of publicity. For those of us who don’t live in Toronto, everything we heard about the parade on the national networks was about Ford. Ford held up a hoop and everyone jumped throught it.

  6. Mike B says:

    I’m with you. This man has shown, and continues to show his true ignorant colours. In addition, many of the ignoramouses that voted for him (so called “Ford Nation”) are showing their true colours as well. One only needs to view the online comments sections of articles regarding this topic to see what I mean. It is some of the vilest language regarding homosexuality that I’ve read, and Rob’s absence has given them a license to do so. He hasn’t been on the job a long time, but I think it’s been long enough!

  7. Bil Huk says:

    while i disagree with your categorization of Rob Ford, at least you suggest the most appropriate response to any politician’s actions. I hear all kinds of crazy lame-brained blow hard suggestions/ideas when a politician does something that people adamently disagree with.

    Political participation actually takes some commitment. it’ll be interesting to see how much of that there is in 4 years against Ford.

  8. Lipman says:

    WK:

    A few years from now, councillors like Michael Thompson, Stintz, Nunziata, and others close to Ford may end up on the receiving end of a wave too. From now on, it will be important to highlight those obsequious councillors who are doing everything in their to forward the Ford agenda and provide excuses for their boorish leader who put them in positions of influence at City Hall.

    He still has a few years to make this problem go away. He could attend the parade once over the next couple of years, and mend fences with the gay community community. Three years is a long time, and all could possibly be forgotten. Or maybe not. But the conciliatory approach would only work if he were a thoughtful, caring bridge-builder. All of the evidence suggests he does not possess these qualities.

    It has been a while since a philistine has held such immense power in the province of Ontario. He’s beatable, but statistics prove that it would have to be a sitting councillor to make a bid. There are people to coalesce around, but it will require unity between those in the NDP and Liberal camps.

    • Ted says:

      Don’t forget that we are hosting World Pride in 2014, while Ford is still mayor.

      It’s not just about the gay community and it’s not just about dumping him and his supporters and it’s not just about his boorish behaviour.

      There is a major international event coming to Toronto in 2014. Pride Week is big enough as it is, but we ain’t seen anything yet. Millions of people coming to Toronto. Millions and millions of dollars to be spent on Toronto businesses.

      We need to convince Ford to shape up [Ed. note: not a fat joke] for the sake of the city as a whole. As well as all of the thousand other reasons he should grow up and act like a mayor for all.

  9. If you want to send a message to Rob Ford, you will have to send it to his brother, Doug, as Rob is a homophobic coward and can’t speak on his own behalf.

  10. GetReal says:

    The Pride Parade long ago stopped being about “rights” and became about blatant sexual exhibitionism.

    The only thing gay about the modern Pride parade is the happy dictatorial “Do as we say or we’ll launch a Human Rights Complaint Against You” attitude of the organizers.

    Why should the mayor, or anyone else in the GTA be forced to witness other citizens engaged in sexual displays in public? Why should anyone have to explain to their 8 year old girl that either she watches naked men parade down her street or she can’t go outside to play.

    The Pride parade is long past its due date. Citizens truly interested in equality in our society would do well to consider the equality of the children in our city, and tell these exhibitionists hiding behind the now open closet door to take it inside.

    • Danny says:

      Agreed. Not only is it not about rights, but about pushing an extremist agenda. Ford was smart to give it a miss as news now comes out that the anti-semitic Queers Against Israeli Apartheid was replaced by the equally hateful Dykes Against Israeli Apartheid. Hate speech extremists. Despicable.
      I don’t understand how anyone can support this behaviour.

      • Ted says:

        There was no QAIA or DAIA during the parade or any official part of Pride Week, bud.

        What extremist agenda?

        The only thing extreme about Pride Week is the extreme amount cash flowing into local businesses and the extreme efforts Ford has gone to not help Toronto promote this enormous and profitable tourist event.

    • Jan says:

      Are you calling Brian Burke a sexual exhibitionist?

    • Steve T says:

      I have the same complaint about the Pride Parade here in Winnipeg. I actually wanted to take my kids to it, to educate them about the matter of gay rights, but I knew what kind of behaviour I’d see in the parade, and figured it would actually reinforce bad stereotypes than educate them about anything. Renting and watching “Milk” with them would be a much better approach (which is what I did, in fact).

  11. Cromwell says:

    I’m pretty sure that the people who voted in Rob Ford are quite pleased he skipped Pride. So much for electoral politics. The unintended effect of his decision is to make intolerance towards gays acceptable again. It’s obvious from the conversations I have overheard the last few days that Ford has ended up encouraging bigotry, even if this wasn’t his intention.

    • Paul says:

      Tolerance and approval are two very different things. One tolerates a toothache, or men running a jackhammer outside the window at 8:00AM. Doesn’t mean they much like them though. I personally have no issue with gays, none whatsoever. I do however have a problem with the fact that any perceived slight is seen as “homophobia” (which I think is an idiotic term– one can disapprove of something and not be afraid of it FFS!) It’s almost the same thing as people criticizing Israel being branded “anti-Semitic” or the cry of “racism!” Invoking those words serves to immediately shut down debate.

      People can dislike, disagree with or disapprove of someone or something, but those are far different things than “hating,” “persecuting” or denying employment, etc. The latter are examples of bigotry and intolerance, the former are not.

  12. Chris says:

    I don’t quite understand why the Catholic Board students have to march for something that the Ontario Government requires under the safe schools act.

    “Bill 157” aka the Safe School Act, specifically spells out that school boards/schools/teachers must provide support for GSA (gay/straight alliance) groups.

    Here is a relevant passage from the ministry of ed:

    Prevention and Awareness Raising: In order to promote a positive school climate, school boards must provide opportunities for all members of the school community to increase their knowledge and understanding of such issues as homophobia, gender-based violence, sexual harassment, inappropriate sexual behaviour, critical media literacy, and safe Internet use. Ontario’s curriculum provides many opportunities for students to develop an understanding of these topics. Boards must also help school staff to give support to students who wish to participate in gay–straight alliances and in other student-led activities that promote understanding and development of healthy relationships. Schools must also engage their school councils and student councils to support these student-led activities.

    from here: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/extra/eng/ppm/145.html

  13. moose says:

    Despite what the shallow conservatives who e-mail here say, Rob Ford’s absence from the
    parade yesterday proves the necessity of these events.David Miller’s presence yesterday
    proves what a classy and conscientious person he is.With nothing to benefit personally
    he acted as he did as mayor-trying to take Toronto into the twenty first century whether it
    was transportation,or the environment,or for the rights of workers.

  14. Iris Mclean says:

    Not sure what the all the squawking is about. If I was planning a party, the last people I would invite would be folks like Ford, Harris, Hudak-Hutton, Harper, Baird, Kenney, and on and on. Why the hell would the “gay community” want people like these on hand any more than Charles McVety or Stockwell Day?

  15. Wannabeapiper says:

    I through-up-in-my-mouth seeing Layton wearing an NDP shirt in the parade. What a dick, so to speak…………I too, think Ford made a big mistake, and there are 3 more Pride Parades beofre the next election, and I suspect he will be a true convert to the parade in the election year-so he would be, as Warren says, ‘a hell-of-a-guy”.

    • DL says:

      What’s wrong with Layton wearing an NDP shirt in the parade? Bob Rae was there wearing a Liberal shirt and Lizzie May was there in Green paraphernalia. The whole point of political leaders marching in the parade is to make the point that their parties are supportive of the gay community.

  16. patrick deberg says:

    Oh the horror !!

    Let,’s rise up and defeat the savage at the gate !! Calm down kids. Here in Ottawa we got Leisure suit larry for Mayo for 4 FU(K!N years !! Google him to see what we got. Quit your bitchin!! He was voted in fair and square. If you had decided to run a fellow that decided to not try on diapers as a stunt you might have won. But guess what? YOU DIDN”T !!
    So savour the years ahead. You earned them !!

  17. Patrick says:

    The great irony is that Liberals and left leaning types have the market pretty much cornered when it comes to things like intolerance. This post and attendant commentary are a small example. It’s this fundamental progressive myopia that has pushed so many voters to the right…

    Keep digging.

  18. DL says:

    Mel Lastman was a rightiwng fanatic just like Ford – yet he marched on Pride day and was warmly welcomed.

  19. bza says:

    Progressives have a great chance of beating Rob Ford if we can unite behind one candidate. The overall trend in City of Toronto politics seems to be that one has to be a City Councillor first before they become Mayor. It was that way with Ford, Miller, Hall, Rowlands, Eggelton, Sewell, and Crombie. Even Mel Lastman had a Board of Control position for one term before becoming Mayor of North York.

    With that being said, I think it will come down to Shelly Carroll or Adam Vaughan, and it really should be one or the other so the vote doesn’t get split this time. Whoever has the most appeal beyond the Old City of Toronto and can swing the suburban vote should be the candidate everyone lines up with.

  20. JH says:

    You will never defeat Ford on this issue folks. It’s a non-starter among the majority of those who will actually vote.

    • Lipman says:

      Doesn’t need to be just this issue buddy! By then, there will be a laundry-list of things to nail him on.

  21. steve says:

    Questions about how many angels fit on the head of a pin are important in the long term, but obviously they are not existential questions. Moving around in the 21st century is. In this regard the Ford view of Pride work seems enlightened.
    http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/ttc-makes-dumbest-decision-ever-former-head-warns/article2086415/

  22. steve says:

    Hi Warren, just like their southern brothers the CP party seems to have a huge gay mafia. One could speculate about which cabinet ministers and which top advisers are members endlessly. The question is why has the party of gay bashing not revealed who is self loathing?

  23. When did “compromise” become such a dirty word?

  24. Dude Love says:

    Rob Ford didn’t attend the CHIN picnic either. So does that make him anti-Italian or anti-bikini?

  25. RN200 says:

    I think we need a recount. A million? No way…made up number. Crowd stats like this are always waaaaaaaaaaay overstated.

    If there WERE a million people then it’s conclusive proof that there is ZERO transit or gridlock problem in this city, and we’re already ready for the Pan Am games and whatever else is coming.

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