Ontario Town Fined for Refusing to Recognize Pride Month

The town of Emo was ordered to pay $15,000 and complete human rights training after declining to fly a Pride flag and proclaim June as Pride Month.

The Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario ruled that the town of Emo violated the provincial human rights code by refusing to fly an LGBTQ2 rainbow flag and proclaim June as Pride Month in 2020.
Emo, a town with a population of 1,300, was fined $10,000, while Mayor Harold McQuaker was personally fined $5,000 for discriminatory remarks during a council meeting.
The tribunal found Mayor McQuaker’s comments about not flying a flag for 'straight people' to be demeaning and discriminatory toward the LGBTQ2 community.
The town’s officials, including McQuaker and the chief administrative officer, were ordered to complete an online human rights training course and provide proof of completion to the complainant, Borderland Pride.
The decision follows similar rulings in Ontario municipalities, reinforcing the obligation of public bodies to support Pride initiatives under provincial law.