Borderland Pride Files Discrimination Complaint

A discrimination complaint has been filed over the Township of Emo’s refusal to recognize Pride Month.

Borderland Pride Co-chair Douglas Judson says the filing with the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal isn’t really about this particular municipality.

“It’s about asserting the expectations and the role of government in inclusion for all the communities where no one is asking these questions and no one is putting these resolution requests or trying to organize Pride events. It’s about sending that signal to young people.

Judson adds “We think it’s important to set the expectations for institutions and public officials and how they approach issues of equity and inclusion, especially in smaller communities.”

Judson says the complaint alleges discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, family status, and religion, which are all grounds protected by Ontario’s Human Rights Code.

Among other things, it seeks an order from the Tribunal requiring an apology from the municipality and that the mayor and two councillors undertake training at their own expense on diversity, inclusion and humans rights, with a focus on LGBTQ2 issues.

A financial award, if ordered, will be used to fund Pride and LGBTQ2 inclusion programming in the Emo area.

In addition to the municipality, the complaint is brought against Mayor Harold McQuaker, Councillor Harrold Boven, and Councillor Warren Toles.

The Northern Ontario Pride Network is involved in the filing.

Judson says “The municipality was given a copy of what was filed as a courtesy last week. But formally they won’t be served until the Tribunal vets the material and that should take probably a month or a little bit longer.”

He stresses “Certainly we remain open to reaching a resolution on some of these issues and we’ve signalled that in our material. So there’s an opportunity for the parties to pursue mediation.”