Monday morning pop quiz: As of first thing last Friday morning, how many Torontonians — or Canadians, for that matter — knew that city councils across the country were planning to raise the rainbow flag during the Sochi opening ceremonies to protest Russia’s, um, policies towards LGBT rights?
Not too many of you, am I correct?
Okay, and what about after Bonaparte of Etobicoke began hrumphing about that flag raising?
Yes, now everyone knows, including the gazillions of people who saw the Associated Press wire story in local papers in places like Greenboro, North Carolina, and Beloit, Wisconsin.
The Globe and Mail’s Marcus Gee argued in his column on Saturday that Ford’s “tantrum” further intensifies the city’s global humiliation. And The Grid’s Ed Keenan observed in his blog that the flag protest — coupled with Doug Ford’s gay-baiting comments about the Pride Parade and the mayor’s statement, made during a Scarborough candidates’ debate last week, that he’d never attend the event – seem to be adding up to a calculated political strategy of sorts.
I’m inclined to look at this little episode in a less gloomy light. Ford — like countless censorious public figures before him — unwittingly provided far more visibility to the City’s gesture of solidarity with critics of Vladimir Putin’s harsh anti-gay crackdown than it would have otherwise received.
Putin’s decrees have done more to draw international media attention on LGBT rights globally than anything I’ve seen in a while. And while I definitely wouldn’t want to be gay and Russian, the unintended consequence of Putin’s crackdown has been a truly remarkable — and certainly hopeful — consolidation of public and corporate opinion, something you don’t often see in our polarized world.
Ford’s bleating seems to have had a similar impact, albeit on a more localized scale. Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly, who in the past has said Ford shouldn’t be judged on his refusal to attend the Pride Parade, now situates himself on the pro-Pride side of the ledger, telling reporters he plans to attend this summer’s parade.
Mayoral hopeful David Soknacki, during last week’s debate, also got a chance to further burnish his image with progressives by quipping that he’ll be happy to attend “as long as I get a Super Soaker.” Ford, of course, teed up that line by declaring he’ll never go to the Pride Parade. While media commentators pointed out that his statement puts the lie to his earlier excuses — the inviolable tradition of the annual Ford family cottage retreat, etc., etc. — I can’t say I ever believed that explanation, nor his tortured accounts about his own obviously bigoted attitudes.
Soknacki, apparently, understands that Scarborough is not, in fact, home to roving bands of sullen and marginalized homophobes. So if there’s a comms strategy behind Ford’s pronouncements, I’m not seeing the electoral windfall.
Finally, Ford’s flag flap was clearly not an official gesture — even the most truncated media reports made it perfectly clear he was freelancing this stunt, and was promptly thwarted. So while the world is reminded, yet again, that our mayor is a doofus, I find it difficult to conclude that his stunt tars us all with that gooey brush.
Indeed, it’s important to remember what’s important.
As the New Yorker’s Richard Socarides points out, last June’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling legalizing gay marriage (it struck down the Defense of Marriage Act) has been taken up by a growing number of states, including Utah and Oklahoma, where federal judges have ordered state officials to re-write their laws.
Meanwhile, the Obama Administration continues to apply the ruling by updating federal rules to provide equal benefits to both LBGT and heterosexual couples, with the latest move leaked to the New York Times on the weekend. And lest anyone forget, that landmark decision began with an exchange of vows between Edith Windsor and Thea Spyer at…Toronto City Hall, in 2007. (Had he been in the mayor’s chair, Ford couldn’t have blocked that ceremony, either.)
What goes around, etc. Point is, Ford last week seemed to be doing little more than, well, acting up, and achieving even less.
Election Watch
For those keeping track of possible Municipal Election Act transgressions, check out this annotated email from the Mayor’s Office (reproduced here verbatim).
From: “Office of the Mayor” <officeofthemayor@toronto.ca>
Subject: Media Advisory- Mayor Ford and Councillor Ford launch Ford Nation YouTube Series
Date: 6 February, 2014 3:00:10 PM EST
For Immediate Release: Mayor Ford and Councillor Ford launch Ford Nation YouTube Series
Mayor Ford and Councillor Ford are launching a YouTube series to connect with a broader audience. The first instalment [sic] of Ford Nation will premiere on Monday, February 10, 2014. To watch a promotional clip and subscribe to the channel click here.
The Ford Nation Series, produced by volunteers, will cover a wide range of topics, from politics to sports and community.
Audience members are encouraged to email questions to: fordnation2014@gmail.com. Questions will be read and answered throughout the series.
Mayor Ford and Councillor Ford encourage everyone to subscribe to their new channel and hear from them, directly and unfiltered.
-30-
Media Contact:
Amin Massoudi
Communications and Media Relations, Office of the Mayor
amassou@toronto.ca
On Friday, Spacing asked Amin Massoudi — Communications and Media Relations for Mayor Ford — to comment on why he used City of Toronto resources for the following email. No response has been given.
But, as a reminder to the mayor and his staff, here is the Code of Conduct for Members of Council, Section VII: “No member shall use the facilities, equipment, supplies, services or other resources of the City (including Councillor newsletters and websites linked through the City’s website) for any election campaign or campaign-related activities.”
In one email, Ford has used a City of Toronto email address, promotion of re-election campaign email address, and a City of Toronto employee to aid his re-election campaign.
11 comments
Good article. Thank you.
You asked how many of us knew about the plans to raise the rainbow flags in several cities across Canada. I’d heard about it, but then I have many friends who are politically aware and who had shared the information in an e-mail, so perhaps I’m not a good example of ‘average’ — although I do consider myself that.
I have no doubt that Rob Ford will be in Toronto for both Pride weekend 2014 and Canada Day 2014 just as he was in Toronto for Canada Day 2010 (he just won’t be at Pride)
http://www.thegridto.com/city/politics/that-time-rob-ford-marched-in-a-local-parade-on-canada-day/
Nothing should be surprising here, since he has refused to go to Pride *Week* events in the past even on days when he has been in town. What he said at the debate was actually the most honest (if disappointing) he’s been on the subject compared to his previous “uh, I dunno, my schedule’s not decided yet, uhhhhhhh”
The other elephant in the room is how much the #topoli-ati skirt around that fact that the number of people in this city who have no problem with Ford’s position on gay rights because it is either in line with theirs or more liberal than theirs is, I’m betting, in small double figures expressed as a % of not just eligible voters but voters who will turn up and vote.
Anyway, I’m sure the person who Warren Kinsella assures us is the only sure Ford beater will sort all this out as soon as the book tour is over – BC at the moment it seems.
Regarding the Election Watch. The Fords have abused the code of conduct and ethics since day one…I never thought for an instance they change their ways when it came to another election campaign..He should have been removed from City Hall along time ago and with no enforcement of municipal codes of conduct and ethics I can imagine we will see this practice continue until the day we cast out ballots. I can only hope on that day we see the end of these two; forever and we can begin to repair the damage they have done to this City’s reputation.
Don’t forget the anti-gay signs along the Allen in the run-up to the 2010 election. This may have been part of Ford’s winning strategy then, but in the absence of Smitherman, not sure what the advantage of such a strategy now would be – Ford Nation doesn’t seem to need convincing, and certainly those in my circle who, out of lack of knowledge, voted for him in 2010 are now appalled.
For your election watch you should look at the Mayor’s email of January 31, where he talks about the budget going off the rails because he was not at the helm. This letter from the Mayor’s office was clearly campaigning. I also know he was at the council meeting when it was explained in short words and sentences that they cannot use City Hall letterhead for campaigning.
That retouched photo of Rob Ford is highly objectionable.
If something similar had been done to a photo of a 16-year-old high school student, there would have been an outcry of “BULLYING!”
George: The image is a parody of the Putin protest posters:
@George: Why would anyone parody a photo of of a 16-year-old? A doofus, bigotted mayor is fair game. Hardly an apt comparison.
I thought that picture/image was brilliantly funny – worth making copies of and sharing! It’s called parody and satire – and it’s a longer tradition in the free western world. Elsewhere too, but it can have a much higher price if caught. Of course some won’t like satire – that’s why jokes are perhaps the best response. Here’s one I heard awhile back – Mr. Ford walks into a library….
Hi, will Space.ca file a complaint with the integrity commissioner at Toronto City Hall after posting this story? Yopu definitely should and if you haven’t, why not?
All three provincial parties have agreed. The pride flag has been raised at Queen’s Park.