[URBAN NOTE] "Toronto’s Mayor returns to Pride Festival"

[rfmcdonald]

The Toronto Star's Michael Robinson reports on a long-overdue event.

For the first time in five years, Toronto’s Mayor will be showing some pride.

When asked on Sunday his thoughts on why his appearance at the festival is newsworthy, Tory’s answer was clear and abrupt: “It shouldn’t be.”

“(Pride) is one of the biggest celebrations in our community, period,” he said during a phone interview Sunday. “We are celebrating what I think is at the essence of what makes Toronto a great city: how we live together.”

“And the leader of this city, if you believe as I do, if your core values as a person as mayor are consistent with that notion of embracing and respecting everybody . . . you should be there.”

Pride Toronto co-chair Aaron GlynWilliams referred to Tory’s commitment to participate in the week-long festival as “the start of a new relationship between, not just this festival and the Mayor’s office, but the broader LGBTQ community.”