[URBAN NOTE] How marchers had fun with Ford's Pride non-attendance

[rfmcdonald]

At the Pride parade this afternoon, a fair number of marchers did note that Rob Ford wasn't in attendance. The response of the marchers was rather more humourous than angry, though.

My three favourite slogans?

• "We found Waldo ... but where's Rob Ford?"


• "I left my bikini at #robfordscottage"


• "Fuck Ford, not really, since we're all dykes"

The Toronto Star's Daniel Dale covered it all well.

Fifteen councillors marched — a record, according to Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam. But almost all of them were members of council’s left-leaning minority. Of Ford’s allies, only Michael Thompson, Cesar Palacio and Gary Crawford were spotted.

[. . .]

Ford decided to avoid the parade despite a two-week lobbying effort that involved a plea from Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke, whose late son Brendan was gay. A weary Burke marched in the parade, wearing a jersey with his son’s name on the back, less than three hours after a 25-hour journey back from Kandahar, where he spent Canada Day with soldiers.

Ford’s absence “didn’t really come up,” said Wong-Tam. “Every now and again, someone would shout in our direction, ‘Where is the mayor?’ and ‘Shame.’ But it was so celebratory, and the energy was electric, and the vibe was so upbeat.”

The mayor was not completely ignored. Dozens of marchers and watchers brought an unflattering photo of his disembodied head. At least a few used it as a mask; at least one affixed it to his rear end; Alex Herd, the 67-year-old “second-oldest drag queen in our community,” held one on which “someone” had decorated Ford’s lips with lipstick.

Marchers affiliated with Ryerson University’s student union and RyePRIDE group held a banner that read “We Found Waldo … But Where’s Rob Ford?” They marched in front of a truck decorated with drawings of both.

And perhaps the parade’s biggest Ford-related hit was Jon Mandrozos, who wore a large false belly and a giant Ford-ish Styrofoam mask he spent eight hours creating.

At least one police officer burst into laughter upon seeing him.

I was rather amused by all this. Many others were, too.