LGBTQ, Indigenous leaders respond
Criticism grows over West Lincoln mayor’s comments
On Thursday, West Lincoln Mayor David Bylsma asked a local radio host why the LGBTQ, Black and Indigenous communities continue to fight for their rights since, in his view, everyone has the same rights.
On Friday, members of some of those communities offered the same answer: Bylsma’s own commentary is exactly why the fight continues.
“As a gay man, the kind of ideas of Mayor Bylsma is something I have to be ready to encounter every day,” said Enzo DeDivitiis, chair of Pride Niagara. “The fact that he can say what he said is the exact reason why people are still fighting.”
During an interview on CKTB 610 AM with journalist Matt Holmes about why West Lincoln has not flown the Pride flag during Pride month, Bylsma said there is nothing left for the LGBTQ+, Indigenous or Black communities to fight for.
The mayor said the Pride flag might fly at town hall, but only after a “proper debate.” During the interview with Holmes, he linked the flag to “identity poli
tics.”
He also told Holmes that “securing and acknowledging Indigenous rights” has made some Indigenous people violent, pointing to armed guards at the border of a Six Nations reserve in Brant.
Local Indigenous journalist Sean Vanderklis, a Mississauga member of the Curve Lake First Nation who lives in St. Catharines, said Bylsma clearly has no idea what is happening.
“Yes, if you go to Six Nations right now you will find border guards. Just like Canada has border guards,” said Vanderklis, one half of the two-man CKTB radio show One Dish, One Mic. “They are doing that in response to the pandemic.”
Vanderklis said most reserves do not have the health-care infrastructure to deal with a COVID-19 outbreak, and are limiting access to their territories to protect the health of their people.
“If there was a COVID-19 outbreak on the reserves, it would be absolutely devastating,” said Vanderklis. “That Mr. Bylsma doesn’t know this shows that he isn’t trying to understand what is happening.”
Bylsma has declined to discuss
the matter with The Standard.
His commentary was widely criticized on social media by Niagara residents Thursday and Friday.
By Friday afternoon a handful of Niagara politicians, including St. Catharines Mayor Walter Sendzik and Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati had posted criticisms to Twitter. Other politicians, including St. Catharines Liberal MP Chris Bittle and St. Catharines regional Coun. Laura Ip, called Bylsma’s comments bigoted and racist in interviews this week.
Regional Chair Jim Bradley said Friday he would not go so far as to label the comments bigoted, but did say they were naive and ignorant.
“Very clearly, Mayor Bylsma does not reflect my views, the views of the majority of regional council, nor the views of most Niagara residents,” said Bradley, who said while he has not spoken to Bylsma he intends to raise the issue at the next regional council meeting.
For those in the groups Bylsma spoke about, the commentary was, at best looked at as ignorant and tone-deaf. “Remember, today is the anniversary of the Pulse shooting,” said DeDivitiis, referring to the 2016 massacre at an Orlando, Fla. gay club.