Northern Ontario Town Votes Against Flying Pride Flag 3 Times in 3 Weeks

Three motions to fly a pride flag on municipal property have been defeated three times in as many weeks by a northern Ontario town. East Ferris Deputy Mayor Lauren Rooyakkers first brought forward a motion March 19 requesting the pride flag be raised for the whole month of June. Council voted against the motion 3-2 on March 26, but Ms. Rooyakkers requested a reconsideration immediately after the vote. During the March 26 discussion, Councillor Terry Kelly said he had contacted Statistics Canada to find out how many people identify as LGBT. “It’s basically three percent of the population over the age of 15,” he said. “I’m just wondering where it would stop. This is a splinter group.”...