On Tuesday, the city’s Executive Committee — after a really awkward and largely unnecessary meeting — decided to accept the City Manager’s report that the phrase “Queers Against Israeli Apartheid” does not violate the city’s anti-discrimination policy. Despite rumours and threats, Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti did not move some kind of ridiculous and hard-to-enforce motion that would require Pride Toronto to write a letter promising that QuAIA would not take part in the parade.
Afterwards, Mammoliti played tough with his warnings, as reported by the Toronto Sun’s Don Peat:
“If QuAIA surfaces and does their thing and if Pride doesn’t attempt to squash them, then I will be moving forward, as some others, to hold the funding,†Mammoliti said.
The decision means the status quo stays in place but allows councillors the option of going after funding if the group takes place, Mammoliti said.
Council agreed last yeart to withhold Pride funding until after the parade in case QuAIA participated.
via Pride Toronto clears city hurdle | Toronto & GTA | News | Toronto Sun.
Except that isn’t true. The motion councillors agreed to last year said this:
City Council direct that funding for Pride Toronto be paid after the parade and be conditional upon Pride Toronto requiring all registered participants to comply with the City of Toronto’s Anti-Discrimination Policy.
Notice that the motion says nothing specific about QuAIA whose message, it’s been ruled, does not violate the city’s anti-discrimination policy.
Without an additional motion or a change to the city’s anti-discrimination policy, my read on this is that the city has no recourse to deny Pride Toronto its funding this year, even if QuAIA participates.
Tags: giorgio mammoliti, Pride, pride parade