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Toronto Mayoral candidate Rob Ford is facing a controversy over supposedly homophobic comments. But should gays really be worried?
The case against Mr. Ford is based on his support of an anti-gay marriage pastor and a comment that he made in 2006. Neither of these adequately proves that Mr. Ford is a homophobic.
This is what he said about gay marriage according to the Globe & Mail:
“I support traditional marriage. I always have,” Mr. Ford added. “But if people want to, to each their own. I’m not worried about what people do in their private life. I look out for taxpayers’ money.”
This is exactly what libertarians would want to hear from someone who is socially conservative. His personal views are one thing but this statement suggests that he will not use the state to enforce his personal views. Mr. Ford is rather light on policy declarations but I doubt that he will have any policies that discourage gay marriage. In fact I doubt that there would be anything that the mayor of Toronto could do even if he wanted to eliminate gay marriage.
This is the quote from 2006:
“If you are not doing needles and you are not gay, you wouldn’t get AIDS probably.”
This isn’t so much homophobic as it is true. It is like saying a black person is more at risk for vitamin D deficiency. It isn’t prejudice it is a medical fact. Homosexuals and people who share needles are more likely to get AIDS. Mr. Ford’s opponents will have to do better than that to demonstrate that he would make Toronto less “gay friendly.”
I am undecided on Rob Ford. He is being touted as the conservative candidate but his lack of policy commitment beyond a generic ‘cut spending’ is worrisome. Still, I see no evidence that Mr. Ford presents a threat to the gay community.
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3 comments:
Since when did one's opposition to the immorality of homosexuality, obviously coming from one's freedom to hold religious beliefs become the qualification for whether one can become mayor? Homosexuals have as much equality before the law as heterosexuals. Legalizing gay marriage and coercing and silencing opponents does nothing for equality, in fact I would say gay activism has crossed the line where now they are actively promoting intolerance and inequality for their opponents.
Anon: People are allowed to vote on whatever grounds they want. If you don't want to vote for a guy you believe to be a homophobe, well, that's your right. Similarly, it'd be your right to vote against Smitherman for being gay, or Thompson because she's a woman, or all sorts of other awful reasoning.
Also, it's not coercion to be told that you're wrong, it's debate. If that's your idea of inequality, you're being as shrill and ridiculous as the "The word 'marriage' is a human right!" crowd.
It could read: Gays keep increasing their power and Babel is just around the corner. (real conservative)
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