Ontario Mayor Refuses Fine Over Pride Flag, Says Town Lacks Flagpole

Mayor Harold McQuaker of Emo, Ontario has refused to pay a $5,000 fine imposed by the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) for not flying a Pride flag during Pride Month in 2020. McQuaker explained the town’s practical limitation, stating, “We just don’t have a flagpole at our town hall.”

The OHRC tribunal ruled in November that McQuaker and the township must pay $15,000 to the LGBTQ group Borderland Pride, with $5,000 from the mayor personally and $10,000 from the town. Additional directives included mandatory diversity training and organizing a drag queen story hour, demands McQuaker has firmly rejected.

“I utterly refuse to pay the $5,000 because that’s extortion,” McQuaker told the Toronto Sun. As for the township’s share of the fine, the town council will decide in an upcoming meeting whether to appeal or comply.

The tribunal’s ruling followed Borderland Pride’s complaint accusing the town of discrimination for declining their request to fly the rainbow flag. The group celebrated the decision as a victory against what they called bigotry in rural Ontario.

McQuaker, however, defended the council’s position, emphasizing that the refusal was not rooted in prejudice. “I don’t hate anybody,” he said. “We simply don’t have the ability to raise any flag at the town hall.”

The story has gained international attention, with many supporting McQuaker’s stance and criticizing the fine as excessive. The case highlights ongoing tensions between rural communities and progressive mandates from activist organizations.