Emo, Ontario Mayor Harold McQuaker is taking a stand against a $5,000 fine from the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC), citing a practical reason for not flying the Pride flag in 2020: “We just don’t have a flagpole at our town hall,” McQuaker told the Toronto Sun.
The OHRC tribunal ruled last month that McQuaker and the township must pay the LGBTQ group Borderland Pride a combined $15,000 for not raising the flag during Pride Month. The mayor was personally fined $5,000, while the town faces a $10,000 penalty. Additional mandates include diversity training and hosting a drag queen story hour, measures McQuaker has rejected outright.
“I utterly refuse to pay the $5,000 because that’s extortion,” McQuaker said. Whether the township will pay the remaining fine or appeal is up to the town council, which is set to decide at a special meeting.
The ruling has been celebrated by Borderland Pride, which called the council’s actions discriminatory and demanded further commitments to affirming LGBTQ rights. McQuaker, however, explained that the decision was not about prejudice but practicality, as the town lacks the infrastructure to raise any flag.
The case has sparked international attention, with critics arguing the fine is disproportionate and politically driven. McQuaker’s straightforward defense has drawn widespread support from those who see the ruling as an overreach by activist groups and bureaucracies.
McQuaker summed up his position succinctly: “I don’t hate anybody. But I’m not paying $5,000 for a flag we had no way to display.”
