Federal Conservatives Give $400k to Toronto Gay Pride Week
June 19, 2009 · By Shane Edwards
That’s right.
HOMOPHOBES!
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49 Responses to “Federal Conservatives Give $400k to Toronto Gay Pride Week”
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Aw heck. It’s probably not enough in light of those who would call them that. Maybe if they donated a million they wouldn’t get labelled… or 2 million… or however much it takes to “prove” that they love “the gay” too!
It’ll be interesting to see what comes out of all this.
I will have to read this over, have a level head, and then probably reisign from my ETA, and stop all contributions to the party.
The Conservatives need to have some backbone in this situation and say to these organizers, “as a policy, we do not support Homosexuality.” We apologize if this causes any inconvenience.”
I think even supporting the Big three. GM, Chrysler and Ford makes more sense.
I’m not surprised by this at all. The CPC does not embody either fiscal or social conservatism. In fact, I would have been shocked had they declined support.
As per Baylonian, I stopped contributions to the party well over a year ago because the CPC is a party that is conservative in name but not in action.
You couldn’t link to a story from a legitimate website?
That was a little snobby. Are you suggesting the facts are not correct?
Allow me to play Devil’s Advocate here (because I sometimes like that).
1) Should we not remember that the Federal Government is the government for all Canadians and must therefore equally represent them under the current laws and rights of the land?
2) Assuming that the Ministry of Tourism has a set of criteria that must be met when organizations/events apply for funding from the Government, should qualifying groups be denied purely because, ideologically, the Party that forms the Government disagrees with said group?
Assuming that we are trying to be a fair and just government who respects the rule of law and the tenets of the Constitution (such as it is), and assuming that under current laws and rights, there is no legal reason to deny this group the funding for an event that brings in enormous tourism dollars to a community as well as correspondingly enormous tax revenues from the event, would we not be obligated to grant the funding request?
Aside from a moral/ethical difference of opinion with this group, what justification would there be to deny them that would stand up in a court of law if brought to that end?
The Cost/Risk/Benefit ratio is heavily skewed to the third consideration. The cost of a $400K sponsorship that will result in greater tax revenues through tourism and associated ripple effect spending/taxation is low compared to a distracting and damaging PR campaign sure to be engaged against the Party and the Government not to mention the loss in productivity in other areas while resources and efforts are redirected to combat/defend against something that is currently indefensible under law.
It shouldn’t mean that the “war” (for lack of a better word at the moment) should end, but as things currently stand, is it really worth the fight in the bigger picture?
From a Devil’s Advocate’s position…
Sean –
I think #2 is faulty. The government is not obligated to fund any march by any group. Ever. If they are then the March for Jesus crowd would be pleased to know, which, interestingly would probably create a stink among the secular zealot crowd.
The government’s funding of various “cultural” events is a highly subjective thing. I suspect they are picking their battles, as you suggest.
The difficulty, however, is that this choice may alienate the CPC conservative base. What might seem like a great PR plan can lop them off at the knees if they aren’t careful.
Of course, I’m assuming there are enough true conservatives left in Canada to actually register displeasure with the CPC. Perhaps there be few who actually hold conservative principles?
That’s a good point Mark, and thanks for bringing it up. I think I was aiming towards that there is a process for those groups who apply that must be followed. If there’s a qualification, where’s the justification for a denial?
If you remove the name and inclination of the group, it could be suggested that any other group under the same terms who would be granted the funding where this one would not, was a denial based in discrimination. Which of course leads to Shane’s point.
Even if you don’t “agree” with homosexuality (which is like you don’t agree with people growing more than 6 feet in height), it is difficult to believe that denying this parade government funding would do anything but cause trouble for the Conservatives. People won’t stop being gay because the Conservatives didn’t fund Toronto’s Gay Pride Parade, and the Tories would just be inviting a huge amount of (justified) criticism for the purposes of not alienating voters from their base who have no one else to vote for anyway.
Conservatives need to realise that they lost the debate on this issue, and should move on to other things. Many people, myself included, would never vote Conservative because of their stance on these kinds of issues, no matter how good their foreign, fiscal, or environmental proposal could be.
I never knew the Conservative Party of Canada had a policy on homosexuality. Can somebody provide a reference?
What is really offensive is that every year we see Mayor Miller and Police Chief Blair condone the overt nudity by males who flaunt their sex organs to little boys on the parade Route.
This Child-Abuse gets worse because Olivia Chow and Jack ride in the Parade while she professes to defend the rights of Kids and she crusades for Free day-care because “It takes a Village idiot to let someone else raise your child”.
Ever since an Ontario Judge ruled that the quasi-pedophilia displayed during the parade was a sexual preference Right in the Charter , I have started a campaign to force Politicians to make a public declaration for endorsing or condemning the Child-Abuse in public as NOT healthy or Legal to do to children.
News videos will be evidence for who took part in the event while knowing the Nudity went on and they nothing to stop it, this will kill the family Tourism market as people see how Toronto is pedophile friendly since the Police Chief and Mayor refuse to protect childrens Rights over the rights of pedophiles.
So, when is the Straight Pride Parade and where is the funding?
Sick. Just sick. The poster who said they’ve cut out donations to the party has a very good idea.
“Tolerance” to these dickweeds parading bare-assed down the street (to prove what exactly?) is a one-way street. They do NOT extend “tolerance” to anyone but their own sick selves.
Roger! Good for you!
“Aside from a moral/ethical difference of opinion with this group, what justification would there be to deny them that would stand up in a court of law if brought to that end?”
I’ve never seen the parade, but the article does say that the participants routinely violate pulic decency laws. Perhaps the fact that laws get intentionally broken would be a justification? Would you be equally supportive of an “alcohol parade” that intentionally gave minors along the route alcohol to drink (or some other such intentional law breaking)?
Careful what you wish for there karol. Those scenarios will be the next thing we have to dish out taxpayer money to fund. I can just see Jack and Olivia all over it.
Anyone who is disgusted by it will be labelled a “hater” and “intolerant” of “alternative lifestyles.” The lefties love to have someone to scream at, especially those of us who actually pay taxes and fund this garbage.
Attila, note that I was playing Devil’s Advocate here.
You have a point in that violations of the law would be grounds for a reasonable (and legal) justification for refusing to fund the event.
Éric:
Taking a stance like that automatically drops a person into a category where they are completely ignored by Conservatives, since no matter what they do elsewhere, or however good it may be for the country, they simply refuse to consider because of a stubborn ideology of their own. As such, what point would there be in trying to appeal to them or try to convince them of anything?
Ask Jack Layton and Gilles Duceppe how that’s working out for them in Parliament so far…
Hi Shane….I won’t bother to contribute to this thread because it’s so ridiculous and ugly.
But I will point out that this from Karol:
“BIG HOMO propaganda machine in a full swing again; Montreal Simon calls for confrontation and violence against heterosexuals in Canada.”
Is not just outrageous but libellous.
Just so you know…
Awww…..Simon’s feeeewings have been hurt.
Typical of the left-wing, elitist, panzies.
Boo freaking hoo Simon.
Actually Karol…. Donald MacPherson is complaining about YOU…and I have the e-mail to prove it. He is just one of about thirty people who have complained about your hatemongering.
Including a few who have complained to the police.
The fact that any blog would print your stuff defies understanding.
But let’s see what Stephen Taylor has to say…
Starting to get equally expensive to keep the wardens from losing power to the inmates on Parliament hill.
You go to Ottawa knowing the value of a dollar and leave knowing the value of a 100% taxpayer funded pension.
Anyone remember the last piece of fiscally conservative legislation passed?
Karol, dear Karol, I’m sure you can cherry pick from my messages to support just about any issue you care to mention, but unless you begin to appreciate irony and satire I fear my message to you shall never be truly understood.
And, while I do on some level appreciate that you care enough to spend untold hours scanning the Internet for little nuggets that you can send to me in a failed attempt to justify your continued existence, you really shouldn’t take that as an invitation to continue doing so.
I can’t help but notice the large number of error messages I receive after doing a Reply To All to your message, which only underscores that you not only send to people who request not to receive your rants, but that you also send to a large number of inactive addressees. You rant to those who will, those who won’t, and those who aren’t.
In the end, you’re just a tiny little man who substitutes anger and hate for concern and involvement. Get out and do something positive for your community, something that helps others and will help fill that void within you.
Good job, though, on the spell and grammar check. Nice to see your skills are improving, “opinion pools” notwithstanding. Keep up the good work!
This heterosexual female has Montreal Simon as a #1 blogger on her list.
I have always found him to be in truth and a person of good integrity.
He has an ability to to succinctly and artistically describe the obvious and the simple truth of matters of concern.
Karol, Donald and Simon, might I ask that we try to keep the discussion on topic? Namely the $400K funding of the Gay Pride Parade please?
It seems clear that there is an ongoing discussion between the three of you, but I don’t think this is the appropriate forum to continue that discussion.
And may I also ask that you keep comments clean and respectful of other people’s opinions? We discourage flame wars here.
Sean…..I’m sorry for distracting your thread, but this thread has been used to make serious allegations without foundation against me. So I want those slanderous comments deleted, or I want a retraction.
Imagine if somebody said somebody accused you of promoting violence against anyone. And caused crazies to send you threatening e-mails. Wouldn’t you want the same thing?
But believe me the moment I have it I won’t be bothering you again. Because this site is PATHETIC…
This planet has gone INSANE!
Karol:
Ja mam ochetę cock!
Huh? What happened? Did you forget how to speak English? Did you have a brain spasm? Or did you have an orgasm thinking about me?
You’ve hijacked this post, you’ve crossed the legal line, and you’ve been made to look like a fool and a liar.
Now please do us all a favour, please turn yourself in before they come for you…
P.S. I know it’s now a legal matter….. but I’d like a big screen TV.
Thanks.
Simon,
Is “Montreal Simon” your real name? I just checked the Montreal telephone directory and I could not find it. I am not doubting you are a real person. I am just thinking your allegations of karol‘s comments posing a threat to “Montreal Simon” are as virtual as karol‘s ego.
Also, the post dated June 19th, 2009 9:45PM by “Karol” that says: Ja mam ochetę cock! looks like an impersonation of karol. I am notifying the administrators to chech the IPs of these comments to verify.
Simon, I’m not asking you to end your conversation/argument, I’m simply asking you to move it elsewhere so that the thread can stay on topic.
If you have continuing issues with the thread, please contact the Topic creator (Shane Edwards) through the link provided in his name or the site Administrator (Greg Farries). I’m sure you appreciate that whether or not you agree with the subject or the site itself, it’s worth trying to maintain a respectful and intelligent converstation rather than a flame war. This is why I made my original request.
You’re all a bunch of wankers.
The reason the Tories have donated money to the Toronto Gay Pride Week because the event brings in millions of tourism dollars. As much as Federal Conservatives don’t respect the LGBT community’s rights as human beings, they just can’t resist those pink dollars.
To the people griping about nudity at gay pride parades: I don’t much appreciate it either, but the actions of some individuals who are a little too caught up in the celebratory atmosphere shouldn’t be a reason to condemn the whole parade. When the creepy individual on the corner gets arrested for public nudity, do the police kick everyone else out of the neighborhood, too?
While I’m at it, let’s dismantle Karol’s comment comparing gay people to zoophiles, necrophiliacs, and pedophiles. I hate to break it to you, but homosexuals, zoophiles, necrophiliacs, and pedophiles are all people. Hard as it is to believe, you could be any one of those things and still be a good person all around. The only difference between gay people and zoophiles/necrophiliacs/pedophiles is, when we have sex, it’s not illegal (barring having sex in public places or things like that). I really get sick of people comparing gay people to pedophiles to try to discredit them, but I get even sicker of people assuming that pedophiles are all bad people. Not all pedophiles are child molesters, or exploitative of children in any way. Pedophilia is only characterized by a sexual attraction towards children–which, uncomfortable and disturbing as it may be to most of us, is not in and of itself wrong. Acting on it, however, is, because of the harm it does to children. There are pedophiles out there who aren’t child molesters and would never do anything to exploit or hurt a child, and they struggle with the sexual feelings they consider inappropriate, not at all helped by the fact that society condemns them for just having them. Same basic deal for zoophiles and necrophiliacs. Damn, people, show a little tolerance.
On a final note: Simon, I like you and your blog and all, but you really do need to take your argument with Karol over to email or something. A single comment asking Shane Edwards to remove Karol’s libellous comment would have been sufficient. Stop being such a drama queer.
Lame, lame, lame. You equate a bare-assed, disgusting parade with a far-fetched, anecdotal incident of some exhibitionist you saw on an episode of Family Guy? Come on.
“The Conservatives need to have some backbone in this situation and say to these organizers, “as a policy, we do not support Homosexuality.” We apologize if this causes any inconvenience.”
Fascinating. Has anyone told John Baird?
I must say this thread has been most illuminating. Generally the more intelligent conservatives manage to keep the lid on the views of their stupider and more rabid associates. It’s good to see how much hatred still lies beneath the veneer.
Thanks for the reminder, Karol et. al. Every once in while we need to be reminded why you appalling bigots must never, NEVER be allowed to form a majority government.
Key quotes from this thread saved for future publication come election time. Thanks, gents.
“Every once in while we need to be reminded why you appalling bigots must never, NEVER be allowed to form a majority government.”
This is a ridiculous statement Dalton – give me a break. I’m not sure where your party loyalties lie, but lunatic fringes are attached to each party, and are a long way from its mainstream. So spare us from your righteous indignation. Karol et. al. are nuts and not representative of conservatives in Canada.
“Majority of Canadian faggots, as fas as I know do drugs anyway so why do they try to run away from doing different drugs like Zyprexa, drugs that are paid for by the government and drugs that are administered at government sponsored medical facility.
Many Canadian faggots are into sado/masochism so why are they against electro convulsive therapy paid for by the government and administered at government sponsored medical facility.”
Wow, I don’t even know where to begin in responding to this . . . and won’t even bother.
Karol – your posts are staggeringly awful and your views are repugnant and ignorant. In fact, you must be joking? Right?
Karol, I’m not going to bother trying to argue with you further from this post, because you’re only going to twist my words.
I don’t believe that gay people are mentally ill. The mental illness of pedophiles, zoophiles, and necrophiliacs is also questionable. We’re talking about sexuality and paraphilias, here, not dysfunctions of the brain that make it impossible to think or lead a functional life.
Furthermore, you got it backwards: I believe that pedophiles, zoophiles, and necrophiliacs deserve as much compassion as gay people, not the other way around. A thought, inclination, or desire is not a criminal behavior. Instead of demonizing people who are different from us in these respects, perhaps we should show a little compassion for them.
Also, it’s been proven numerous times that reparative therapy of any kind, including psychotropic drugs and electroshock treatment, does not change a person’s sexual orientation. Clearly, you are stuck in the past, completely unable to argue from a current, relevant, legitimate position.
Ryan:
“I’m not sure where your party loyalties lie.”
I don’t have any. No party speaks for me.
“Lunatic fringes are attached to each party, and are a long way from its mainstream. So spare us from your righteous indignation. Karol et. al. are nuts and not representative of conservatives in Canada.”
I was referencing the gentleman who, earlier in the thread, proposed that the Conservative Party simply announce it doesn’t support homosexuality. That poster, as well as Silvernails, Shane and others here, are not raving Jim Phelps style lunatics. They’re, in my opinion, quite representative of one major stream of Conservative thought. Karol is, obviously, insane.
“First you call for understanding and compassion for you as people despite of your sexual perversion.”
“My” sexual perversion? You mean, heterosexuality (married 23 years, with kids)?
But thanks once again to the posters at the Politic for peeling back the bland veneer of civility and reminding us.
Fair enough Dalton. I came out blazing a bit more than I intended, for which I apologize. I think we disagree on mainstream elements in the Conservative party, but agree to disagree with you on that.
Also, to be clear, the last part of your last message was in response to Karol’s lunatic observations, which most certainly do not even remotely reflect my own views.
Sorry for the unclear attribution, Ryan, and no worries. No-one could mistake your legitimate and reasoned concern with those intermittent eruptions of projectile vomiting that punctuate the thread.
Thank you for clearing up the attribution Dalton. Very much appreciated.
Take care,
Ryan
After reviewing this thread I have decided to remove one commentators postings. If you read the Posting Rules, the very first one is “Your comments must be respectful” which wasn’t being followed by the offending commentator in this thread.
You’re free to express any opinion you want here on ThePolitic.com, but it must be done in a respectful and reasonably intelligent manner.
In the future, if you feel a comment posted on ThePolitic.com is inappropriate please feel free to contact me directly and I will review it as soon as possible.
Thanks,
Greg Farries
Editor, Creator
ThePolitic.com
Well, that was quite the apology. It was an apology, wasn’t it??
Going back to the point of this thread, I don’t think Pride should be getting tax dollars, either. I don’t think it’s the business of the federal government to support any local carnivals, festivals or events. That is the responsibility of local government, not the feds.
On the other hand, if the other festivals are getting some, and the rules as they stand permit it, then Pride should be treated no differently than the other events.
Cheers!
Holy planet spaceball.
“Not even bother to inform me that you can’t delete the comments even though they were filthy and libelous and my polite request to delete that filth “amused” you? “
Quotes imply quoting something. I have never said I was amused. I never had the power to remove any comments. I assumed that Greg would, in due course, but, see, we have this thing called “a life”, that sometimes requires us to not be at our computer, staring at idiots on the internet insulting each other (and I am referring to both you AND Karol, so don’t play the discrimination card on this one!) Maybe you have the time to spare in your life to worry about trolls under every bridge, but I frankly don’t. Political discourse is a hobby not a job, and the world would be a better place if people like you took a good swig of perspective before you jumped into the mud pit to sling back.
Holy Memory Hole, Batman? Where did Shane’s last post to Karol disappear to? I thought it was one of the clearest, most appropriate things he’s ever written.
Ha – well, I could bring it back, but then again, I’d like to try to move on from this rather sordid episode.
Agree. Requiescat in Pace.
Greg:
“In the future, if you feel a comment posted on ThePolitic.com is inappropriate please feel free to contact me directly and I will review it as soon as possible.”
What about articles?
I am a proud lesbian but I cannot support an event that celebrates acts that both gay and straight viewers would find offensive and immoral if they were performed by straight people.
disgusting, and dont tell me your born guy, your not, you just cant pick up a girl so you turn to men