So it’s nice to see him here,” said David Mitges, 56, whose own rainbow flag was temporarily borrowed by the mayor’s brother, Councillor Doug Ford.
His job as the mayor is to stand up for everyone, and I think that’s sort of been lacking. “Every movement towards recognizing that people are equal, and sort of standing up for people, is important for a city. I don’t know how genuine it was, given his past statements and actions. “He should’ve done it three years ago,” said Toby Zanin, 51. The crowd cheered again when Pride’s co-chair thanked him for attending “for the first time.” Fewer than five of the dozens of spectators in attendance appeared to jeer him. He got louder cheers when he read the Pride Week proclamation others delivered in his absence in 20. Mayor Rob Ford attended his first Pride Toronto event Monday, participating in the raising of the rainbow flag and drawing qualified praise from the gay community he has repeatedly angered.įord, who has never marched in Pride’s signature parade and who voted two weeks ago against funding the festival, received tepid applause upon his noon arrival at the annual flag-raising event on city hall’s green roof.
