Stephen Harper and his grotesque AmeriCons are already waging a brutish culture war against the women of this country.
Now they're turning they're guns on the gay community. Again.
Organizers of Toronto's gay pride festival were surprised and angry Friday at the Conservative government's decision to drop the lucrative and popular event from its tourism stimulus package.
And lying their bigot asses off.
In a statement Friday, Industry Minister Tony Clement said there are 20 new beneficiaries this year, and the fund's second-year goal was to "ensure regional fairness by making sure every corner of Canada benefits from this temporary stimulus program.
Because does anyone seriously believe that these creepy homophobes from Alberta will cut funding to the rednecks and pancake flippers at the Calgary Stampede?
Right.
So why do they HATE Ontario sooooooo much?
Pride Toronto officials said last summer's Pride Week contributed more than $100 million to the province's economy.
And when do WE get to wage war on those good ol' boys? The dirty bastard bigots who would turn our democracy into a theocracy. And Canada into Amerika.
The good news? I get to fight for the women of this country, for my own tribe, AND for Ontario.
What more can I ask for eh?
Oh yeah. The Toronto parade may be a little less fancy this year. But it will be a lot more political.
Because we will fight these fascist Cons, who have declared war on Canada and its values.
Until the day they are DESTROYED...
One argument the Cons give is that they state that Gay Pride Week in big enough that it doesn't need funding.
ReplyDeleteI will guess that the Conservative government will provide funding to the Calgary Stampede even though it is well established and big enough that it, too, does not deserve funding.
Flapjacks for all!
Happy Stampede!
Joyeux Carnaval!
Tony Clement did say that Toronto's funding would go to Luminato the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair so that these can attract international visitors. I live in Toronto; I don't have a clue what Luminato is about. As for the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, I think Clement is playing to some of his Conservative Party base: Canadian farmers.
ReplyDeleteI, as an international tourist, don't go looking for the Ulan Bator Farmfest or the Luminato in Pyongyang. The International Cow Patty Bingo Tournament in Arizona might interest me. Then again, if I want to see shit coming out the back a bovine creature, I can always go to the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto and see if Tony Clement is there.
One of the greatest times I had at university was when my fellow students rented a bus to go to a country bar in the middle of nowhere. Most of us were not fans of country music. However, we had a great time at the bar.
ReplyDeleteMay I suggest that to promote tourism in Tony Clement's Huntsville, that people rent some buses to transport them to an impromptu/flash Pride Parade. Why does Pride have to be a big city thing? Why can't little towns and cities also have Pride events?
The main reason smaller towns like Huntsville have little or nothing in the way of Pride parades is because the majority in those areas believe that they are "morally wrong" and they would never get off the ground, or at the most would get a tiny number of people there. The local residents there would surely complain as well.
ReplyDeleteI do think calling this a slap in the face to all of Ontario is highly misleading, as few outside the 416 (and to a lesser extent 905) area codes would care, and it may actually win them more votes in rural Ontario - I think Tony Clement realized that when he stepped forward and cancelled the funding.
However, this will surely kill any chance of a breakthrough in Toronto where such funding cut would be HIGHLY unpopular, but they might figure they could write it off.
"One argument the Cons give is that they state that Gay Pride Week in big enough that it doesn't need funding."
ReplyDeleteWhich is absolutely true, but what I don't get is why, for a measly $400k, they just don't allow the funding to continue and score some much needed points with the GLBT communities. I mean, do these numbskull's know nothing about community relations? It is pure ideology and pandering to their rabid base 24/7 with these clowns. Stupid and sad, but true.
After a reread I think I could have worded that better.
ReplyDeleteFor a measly $400k the government of Canada gets to attach its name to an important cultural event that generates +++ millions in profits. With this inexpensive advertising gig they get to show support for a community that regards it with suspicion and contempt. And maybe, just fucking maybe, this tiny and insignificant monetary investment wins the government some friends in the process. I want to ask what the fuck is wrong with this scenario, but know full well the answer.
Wake up Canada, this path is the wrong one.
Not only is the gay issue a thorny one for the conservatives, but the fact that WOMEN are involved must grate on them.
ReplyDeleteTheir women are in the home a la June Cleaver. Heaven forbid that women parade or go topless in public or wear leather or Peterborough dinner jackets!
Women are in the home or trained seals in the cabinet and back benches.
Hey, y'know what? TO Pride attracts people from all over the world, and generates so much tax revenue--way more, I'll bet, than the nominal amount that the feds kick in for annual funding. So they more than make their investment back; they profit. I guess, since they've made their ideological position so painfully clear, they can do without the profit that TO Pride generates for them. Let's apply their reasoning, then, and let all industries that benefited as a result of TO Pride withhold all federal tax monies generated by that event. Shoe pinches if it's on the other foot, eh Harpo?
ReplyDeletehi Skinny Dipper...yes I've noticed the Cons are trying to mask their ideology by claiming it's about saving money.
ReplyDeleteBut I also notice that while the Cons are cutting money for aid groups in Africa they have somehow found enough cash to finance a group that hands out Bibles. So much for that argument...
As for the argument that because Pride Week is so big it doesn't need funding. But that's the problem. When you attract so many people the security, and the clean-up can be very expensive. So scratch that argument too.
As for Luminato it's that artsy one-night festival of lights that is monumentally boring and heavily financed by corporations. And the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair doesn't need money either, but then really it is all about bigotry...
hi Craig...you're right on both points. I'd love to see a gay pride festival in small towns, and if they had done that I wouldn't be complaining.But they don't happen but most gay people have already fled to the cities.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes it really is more about Toronto than Ontario, and probably just another way to play wedge politics pitting rural areas against urban ones.
Oh boy. Sometimes this country disappoints me...
hi Omar...I'm glad you rethought your position because your second comment is right on. Gay Pride is a week-long festival not just a parade.
ReplyDeleteAnd beyond the party and the costumes and the floats, it's a way for a marginalized community to say that we are also part of this country. And tell young or closeted gays that they are not alone.
So the message these Cons are sending out is absolutely hideous.
It met all the criteria, and it serves a useful social purpose, but still these ideologues didn't fund it. But of course the Calgary Stampede which is funded by all kinds of big money gets three times more than Pride Week had asked for.
I didn't think I could hate the Cons more than I already do, but I was wrong... :)
hi Torontonian... the good news is that because of the way they have treated women's groups and gay groups now nobody can deny that they are waging a culture war. And as I think I've made pretty clear, if they want a culture war I say give them one... :)
ReplyDeletehi Bina...you're right Pride Week makes much more money and tax dollars than the piddly amount they were asking for. And that's particularly important since the tourism industry has been hard hit by our high dollar.
ReplyDeleteBut that's our fascist Cons, if they are willing to put their stinking ideology before the lives of poor women, those bastards are capable of ANYTHING...