A recent Human Rights Tribunal decision has led to several attacks against Borderland Pride.
Co-chair Doug Judson says a torrent of online comments and anonymous telephone calls have been continuous since the Tribunal ruled in favour of Borderland Pride in its case against the township of Emo.
The Tribunal ordered the township in October to pay $10,000 to Borderland Pride and Mayor Harold McQuaker to pay another $5,000 for council’s 2020 decision to reject a Pride Month proclamation.
Judson says the messages since then have included death threats, homophobic slurs, sexual harassment and antisemitic comments.
All claim to be supportive of the township or McQuaker.
A crowd-sourcing account also appeared on the weekend, wanting to raise $100,000 for the township to fight the ruling.
Judson has now turned to Emo Council, asking that they denounce the hateful comments by passing a resolution or issuing a public statement.
“As municipal leaders – despite any remaining disagreement with our position in the litigation – we hope you will see it as incumbent upon yourselves to distance the township of
Emo and its leadership from these vile, homophobic, transphobic, ableist, sexually harassing, and antisemitic communications and the ongoing harassment of our organization and its
volunteers,” Judson writes in an open letter.
“The fact is this: if Borderland Pride, the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, and the Township of Emo are to move forward from this litigation, a good starting point would be to recognize some shared values of civility, human decency, and community safety.”
Judson adds on the Borderland Pride’s Facebook page that they have taken further action by contacting police and issuing legal demand letters to the Internet service providers of those who sent messages.
