Being Homophobic

"I am not homophobic. I'll go to anyone's house, anyone's place to help them out. I take offence when people say that to me."
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford

Mayor Ford, whose reputation has soured with the stench of puerile and ill-suited-to-a-mayor behaviour on the wrong side of social mores and the letter of the law remains committed to communicating with the people of Toronto, insisting that it is his pleasure and his determination to represent everyone equally. Although he has his firm detractors and his goggle-eyed supporters his shocking behaviour certainly surprised them all equally.

People of sober-minded social propriety (even modest intelligence) are aghast at the man's unpredictable, antic mannerisms and even more so at his purported and often witnessed churlish and wretched public behaviour. Giving ample ammunition to those who detest him to mount a civil opposition to his continuation as mayor of Canada's largest city, though at the present time he hangs on like a lividly plump limpet.

He and his almost-equally disreputable brother, city Councillor Doug Ford continue to court the public in their determination to cash in on the loyalty of Ford Nation, hoping that in the next mayoral election, Rob Ford will be returned as mayor with full administration of the city restored to him. Mayor Ford released a video recently in which he claims to have been offended by those who insist he is homophobic.



The charge relates largely to his steadfast refusal to attend Toronto's Gay Pride parade, seen as a required courtesy on the part of city officialdom, but rejected by the Fords as unnecessary. "I've never been to a pride parade. So I'm not going to change the way I am", he asserts. Truth be told, who can blame him? The events where mature adults shed their clothing and prance about in absurdly suggestive poses may appeal to the juvenile among us, but hold no appeal for many others.



Those who attend the event because it is seen as a social and political requirement to 'prove' to the gay community how tolerant they are, and appreciative of the 'different' values of the gay, lesbian, transgender, transvestite and queer community, do so to avoid being labelled homophobic. Those who are conspicuous by their absence like the Fords speak the truth when, as Doug Ford stated, feel gay "bullying" behind the fear of offending the LGBT community.



Much as it pains those of us who consider Rob Ford and his brother to be quasi-barbaric louts, and even though we cringe at agreeing with him, he deserves credit for not hesitating to speak the truth in this matter. When Mayor Ford expressed his opinion that a rainbow flag be removed from city hall when the Sochi Winter Olympics began, raised as a symbol of solidarity with gays in Russia, he doubtless echoed the opinion of many of his constituents.

None of whom would dare venture such an opinion for fear of being labelled homophobic. "Our Canadian flag should be up there, not the pride flag", he stated, and one can only agree, even with the knowledge that the rainbow flag took the place, on a "courtesy" flagpole, of the City of Toronto flag.