"Dawn of a new Gay" author's take on Rob Ford and Pride

First, The Grid published Paul Aguirre-Livingston's essay, "Dawn of a New Gay", that argues he's part of a twentysomething generation of urban gays who, by dint of their social freedom and opportunities, "don’t need to categorize or define ourselves as gay." He goes on to say: "We don’t march in Pride and we probably never will. (After-parties only, please.)"

The essay ignited such a backlash that The Grid felt compelled to publish an explanation of why it was published.

Then, Mayor Rob Ford announced he was going to the cottage instead of continuing a 13-year tradition of Toronto mayors marching in the Pride parade. Neither he nor his staff have explained why Ford doesn't plan to go to one of the many other many Pride activities.

We wondered if Aguirre-Livingston would be as disappointed with Ford as some of the Pride supporters who criticized his essay.

He answered our questions, with the caveat: "I don't shun Pride (in fact, I loathe that word - shun) - it's just not 'my thing' right now. I do, however, enjoy all the events before, around and after it, for the record!"

Here is his take on Ford and Pride:

Q: What do you make of Rob Ford’s actions?”

A. I think it's unfortunate that the city has such a half-hearted, short-sighted mayor like Ford. His decision to forgo Pride, although equally unfortunate, is rather embarrassing and telling of the legacy he'll leave on our city - that is, no legacy at all. If he were voyaging for peace talks in some remote corner of the world, I'd throw him a bone. But Hunstville? A cottage? Give me a break. This is a question of civic duty and integrity as the figurehead of our city. It's a slap in the face, and, if we're talking bottom lines like Ford always does, just bad business.

Q. Do you think there is any onus on him to participate, in some way, in Pride?

A. Sure, a lot of people say Ford can't be at every parade, or at every opening, or at every cultural celebration. Well, fine, I agree. But let's put this into perspective. On the hierarchy of Toronto social and cultural (city-wide) functions, Pride is way up there. Big bucks up there. Millions of people up there. I'm not saying Pride is more important than any other event, but, it has an undeniable significance to a lot of people in the city, and that's been made clear over the last few weeks.
There's obviously been strong opinions voiced over his decision, and that alone should be enough to make Ford concede. Now, of course, the question is whether or not the community at large even wants him at Pride if he's going to grumpy about it. To that, I say force him. Force him to do his job and represent for the city because it's important to its citizens. I'm not saying his appearance won't be in vain nor will it prove he's actually interested in the community, but it will at least teach him a valuable lesson about the strength and solidarity of the gay community and how to pick his battles. If he can find time to coach high school football at 3:40 p.m. on a Wednesday (office hours!), then he can do something that actually relates to his job, like, you know, marching in Pride. No ifs or ands, just plenty of butts.

It's sad, I don't think the problem is that Ford is uncomfortable around gay people. I just don't think he's that interested in us, or understands the scope of the community he's dealing with. Trust me, if my tiny article can bring out the activist streak in even the most apolitical person, Ford has no idea what he's up against if he continues to screw up or piss off the gay community even more. And although after reading my piece you'd think I don't care about politics or have any idea what's going on, it's quite the opposite. I'm grateful for Toronto and the freedoms it has allowed me to enjoy and the progress we've made (and the miles left to go), but if Ford ever did anything to infringe on these freedoms and rights, I would be the first in line to help organize the most vicious and resilient rally and gay rights campaign this city has seen in decades. 

Cheers,
Paul

 

'Hammer'/'Gladiator' Krista Ford shows us how it's done

Lingerie Football League hopeful Krista Ford has strength, speed and stamina. Now, like any young 21st-century athlete worth his or her salt, she also has a YouTube highlights mixtape set to a fierce instrumental soundtrack.

Krista, the 20-year-old daughter of Councillor Doug Ford and niece of Mayor Rob Ford, posted the video on Friday. Titled “Krista Ford LFL Toronto Triumph OFF SEASON Training,” it features Krista sprinting, darting through agility and foot-quickness drills, lifting weights, doing clap-pushups, catching passes, and, once, picking up a smaller woman and carrying her over her shoulder. It ends with a promise of more such videos.

Krista doesn’t officially know if she has made the Toronto Triumph expansion team, which plays its home opener in September. But things are looking good. She has already been named the team’s marketing manager. And on the team’s Facebook page, an administrator posted a Star article about her with the message: “TRIUMPH'S KRISTA FORD SHOWS WHY SHE IS AN LFL GLADIATOR: The Triumph leader is setting an incredible tone across the team with subjecting herself to grueling twice-a-day football oriented workouts. Ford understands that you either are the hammer or the nail in LFL Football, she has obviously chosen to be the hammer!”

The video:

 

 

 

The neverending screwups on Dundas St W

In the last four years, Dundas St W has spent more time as a construction zone than a road.

First the street had to be ripped up for streetcar track updating. Then cable lines. Then water mains. Then sidewalk repair.

"This September it was supposed to be all over," Ward 18 councillor Ana Bailao said today.

That is, until Bailao learned Tuesday that the freshly finished sidewalks are due to be ripped up once again for gas line replacement.

"At the present moment, the sidewalks on Dundas are being constructed and I find this to be yet another example of the city not taking enough time to properly organize its construction schedule," she said in a statement earlier.

Bailao is hoping to use this as a teachable moment. She has met with city technical staff and plans to bring the issue to public works committee. Better coordination is needed between city departments and city stakeholders, such as Enbridge, which manages the gas lines, so this doesn't happen again.

It's a waste of time, money and it's irritating, she said.

Enbridge has said the entire sidewalk won't need to be rebuilt. They will just drill in certain areas and fill the hole with asphalt. Later on, the asphalt would be smoothed over with concrete.

Art bike inspires councillor, but will he save it from the scrapheap?

An old Raleigh bike sat chained to a post -- alone, unloved and unclaimed -- outside a stretch of Dundas St. W. for years, just another piece of urban clutter.

When Caroline Macfarlane decided to turn the bike into eye-pleasing art, painting it a neon shade of orangey-pink, the city promptly slapped a removal notice on it. Macfarlane, who envisions using abandoned bikes as a city-wide art project, found the notice while returning to put plants in the bike's basket.

Gary Crawford, the city councillor for Ward 36 Scarborough West, was taken with Macfarlane's beautify-it-yourself ethos, saying in a news release: "I was really taken away by the whole idea. There are probably 1000's of unsightly abandoned bicycles in the City. Imagine if we woke up one morning and all these bikes were transformed into wonderful works of creative expression.  What these artists have done has brought attention to how a small act of creativity can make the City of Toronto a more beautiful place to live."

He knows of what he speaks. A conservative who usually votes with Mayor Rob Ford, he's also a professional landscape and portrait painter, and part-time drummer in a classic rock band.

After meeting with Macfarlane, Crawford announced he's launching an initiative called "10,000 Ideas for Creative Change in Toronto" and is urging residents to tell him their ideas on his Facebook page, through Twitter or by calling (416) 392-4052.

But is he going to save Macfarlane's art bike from death row? An aide says the councillor is talking to city staff to see what he can do.

 

Pair demanding Ford campaign audit get big-gun legal help -- for free

Adam Chaleff-Freudenthaler and Max Reed, the decidely left-leaning duo who convinced the City of Toronto's compliance audit committee to order an audit of Mayor Rob Ford's unorthodox campaign financing, aren't giving now that Ford is challenging the order in court.

Chaleff-Freudenthaler announced Wednesday that he and Reed will be represented alongside city lawyers by two lawyers from "Paliare Roland, an elite boutique litigation firm."

Here's the release:

Elite Litigators Retained to Fight Ford in Court

In response to Mayor Rob Ford's appeal of the compliance audit ordered
on his campaign, co-applicants Adam Chaleff-Freudenthaler and Max Reed
have retained Paliare Roland, an elite boutique litigation firm, to
argue their case.

Given the public interest at the heart of this matter, Paliare Roland
is providing its services pro bono.

Two partners from the firm, Robert Centa and Caroline Jones, will lead
the file. Mr. Centa is no stranger to municipal issues. He was
retained as counsel by the City of Toronto to represent its interests
at the MFP inquiry.

"We are thrilled that two of Toronto's most skilled litigators will be
working with us to ensure Toronto's mayor is held to the same law as
every other citizen of this city," said Chaleff-Freudenthaler. "That
Paliare Roland has offered their services to us at no cost is a
testament to the firm's commitment to justice and our city."

A court date for the appeal will be negotiated by the parties over the
coming weeks.

Background:
About Paliare Roland: http://www.paliareroland.com/about.asp
Robert Centa Biography: http://www.paliareroland.com/profilesDetail.asp?id=19
Caroline Jones Biography: http://www.paliareroland.com/profilesDetail.asp?id=20