[URBAN NOTE] "RE/MAX fires agent over family-values brochure"

[rfmcdonald]

Xtra!'s Marcus McCann reports on the firing of a Mississauga realtor by his agency for distributing a pamphlet criticizing same-sex families based on widely questioned research. (See also the Toronto Star's article.)

There are many questions to ask. Is this an appropriate reaction by the agency, for instance? Is this actually hateful? Et cetera. The question I just want to have answered relates to why Ciastek did this. I can't think of a way that a scattershot distribution of pamphlets containing controversial material could be a plus for a businessperson.

Andrew Ciastek was terminated for “poor judgment on his personal marketing,” according to Christine Martysiewicz, director of internal and public relations for RE/MAX Ontario-Atlantic Canada.

“We assure the general public that his actions in no way reflect RE/MAX or our associates. We're offended by the insensitivity shown here just as much as the community is. We take pride in the diversity of our workforce and our clients,” Martysiewicz says.

The flyer's headline reads, “Traditional family is the best for the future of the kids.” It is based on research that suggests that gay parents are more likely to be unemployed than their straight counterparts. The author of the study, Texas sociologist Mark Regnerus, has since backtracked on key claims made in the study, and gay activists and other academics have roundly criticized it as politically calculated.

Ciastek was not immediately available for comment. In an interview before the termination was announced, he told the Toronto Star he realized people are “hurt” by the flyer and promised to apologize.

RE/MAX will be making a donation to Peel Pride, Martysiewicz says, but she declined to disclose the amount.