John Tory Says He Would Deny Funding To Pride Toronto If Its Parade Includes Queers Against Israeli
Mayoral candidate John Tory says that he would vote to deny Pride Toronto funding if its parade includes the controversial group Queers Against Israeli Apartheid.
Mr. Tory stated his position on Friday, during a debate with Olivia Chow hosted by the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre For Holocaust Studies.
Ms. Chow said that while she neither supports nor agrees with the message promoted by the anti-Israel group, she would not pull the city grant for the massive event that celebrates gay culture.
“I believe the city should have found that an organization like that with the sort of rhetoric and whatnot that it puts forward is not consistent with the city’s human rights policy,” said Mr. Tory, earning cheers from the crowd gathered for the debate.
He told reporters afterwards that it’s on a point of “principle” that he would cast his vote — one of 45 council members — against such funding, but that he would make every possible effort to come to some sort of “accommodation” with Pride, an organization that he is “very supportive” of, noting that he has marched in many Pride parades.
more...
http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/09/19/john-tory-says-he-would-deny-funding-to-pride-toronto-if-its-parade-includes-queers-against-israeli-apartheid/
