City Hall flying the flag for gay Olympians
Calgary joined Edmonton and other Canadian cities in raising the rainbow flag at City Hall on Friday, where it will fly for the duration of the Olympic Games in Sochi.
The flag — a symbol of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights — went up at the request of Mayor Naheed Nenshi in protest of anti-gay laws in Russia, where the Games are underway.
Calgary — which hosted the Winter Games in 1988 — initially had no plans to join Montreal, Ottawa, Vancouver, Halifax and other cities in a sign of solidarity.
“As of now, it appears Calgary will not be raising a pride flag. Citizens and advocacy groups can request that the City participate in a similar action if they felt so inclined,” a city spokeswoman said Friday morning.
The flag flap prompted heated opinions on social media. “Sochi shouldn’t be about protesting Russia, it should be about celebrating our Olympians,” said one tweet, while another called the decision “an embarrassing shame. Some of our athletes are gay.”
But Nenshi — currently travelling in London — ultimately decided Calgary will fly the multicoloured emblem after all.
Groups and organizations are typically required to file a formal request to have their flag flown on a community flagpole in front of the municipal building, usually for one day only.
The circumstances in this case are bit out of the ordinary, said Nenshi’s spokesman Daorcey LeBray.
“The mayor’s office has a bit of discretion to request that a flag go up. This is a unique situation where it will be up for the duration of the Games,” he said.
GayCalgary Magazine publisher Steve Polyak said he’s pleased to see the city take a stand against discriminatory practices in the European nation. Dismayed at the thought Calgary wouldn’t participate, he filed an application Friday morning to have the iconic flag flown.
“It helps show gay and lesbian athletes — as well as gays and lesbians in Russia — that Calgary is supporting their rights,” Polyak said.
Ward 7 Coun. Druh Farrell believes the city has an obligation to take a stand, noting she was prepared to raise the issue with her council colleagues on Monday.
“This is a matter of human rights,” Farrell said.
At the Alberta Legislature in Edmonton, a rainbow flag will replace one Alberta flag and fly until the end of the Paralympic Games.
But some politicians believe the Sochi Olympic Games are not the place to debate Russian President Vladimir Putin’s treatment of gays.
In Toronto, controversial Mayor Rob Ford ordered staff to take down the rainbow flag, arguing the Olympics are about “being patriotic to your country,” not “someone’s sexual preference.”
But Ward 4 Coun. Sean Chu believes Calgary has a civic duty to promote tolerance.
“Their leader is against the LGBT community. We should send a message out that the world has changed. We should embrace everybody,” Chu said.