OAN Staff Abril Elfi
12:05 PM – Sunday, December 1, 2024
A town in Canada is now facing a $10,000 fine for refusing to participate in Pride Month or fly the LGBTQIA+ flag at its municipal building.
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According to a report by the National Post, The town of Emo, Ontario was found to have violated the Ontario Human Rights Code by the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario for refusing to proclaim June as Pride Month.
The town was also cited for failing to fly “an LGBTQ2 rainbow flag,” despite the fact that Emo does not have an official flag pole.
In addition to the $10,000 fine, town officials were ordered to take mandatory “human rights” training.
According to the report, the decision to cite Emo stemmed from a 2020 incident in which the town was approached by a group called Borderland Pride, which issued a written request that Emo declare June Pride Month.
The group’s request also included a draft proclamation, which stated that “pride is necessary to show community support and belonging for LGBTQ2 individuals” and that “the diversity of sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression represents a positive contribution to society.”
Borderland Pride also had asked the city to fly an “LGBTQ2 rainbow flag for a week of your choosing.”
The request was rejected by a 3-2 vote at a later Emo township council meeting.
Mayor Harold McQuaker argued that there was “no flag being flown for the other side of the coin…there’s no flags being flown for the straight people.”
Human Rights Tribunal vice-chair Karen Dawson stated that the remark was “demeaning and disparaging of the LGBTQ2 community of which Borderland Pride is a member and therefore constituted discrimination under the Code.”
She also went on to argue that the decision was made in “close proximity” to McQuaker’s no vote on the Borderland Pride request, meaning it “constituted discrimination under the Code.”
According to the report, Borderland Pride requested a $15,000 fine for the Township as well as a $10,000 fine for each of the three council members who voted against the group’s request, but the tribunal ultimately settled on a $10,000 fine for the Township and a $5,000 fine for McQuaker.
McQuaker and Emo’s chief administrative officer were ordered to complete the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s “Human Rights 101” online course and provide proof of completion to Borderland Pride within 30 days.
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