CITY COUNCILLOR: 'LOOKS LIKE DRUGS OR GAYS'

Rob Ford Fights Municipal Funding Of HIV/AIDS Programs

Toronto municipal councillor Rob Ford attacked city funding for AIDS
prevention programs last month, saying that only gay men and drug
users contract the disease.

At a city council meeting on Jun 29, Ford argued unsuccessfully in
favour of cutting the city's $1.5-million in grants to AIDS education
and prevention programs. Ford, who represents Ward 2 Etobicoke North,
has in the past attacked city funding for Pride and the Lesbian Gay
Bisexual Trans (LGBT) Youth Line.

"From what I know, if you're not gay or an IV-drug user, you probably
won't get AIDS," Ford told council, who responded with a collective
groan. "I hear 90 percent of the cases are from being gay or doing
drugs. We're spending $1.5-million, and if you read through these
groups, it looks like drugs or gays."

Council eventually voted 26-2 in favour of funding the programs. The
only other opposing vote came from Scarborough councillor Mike Del Grande.

In an interview the next day, Ford stood by his comments, although he
lowered his 90 percent figure.

"I said what I said. I didn't mean to offend anybody, but I don't
think it's fair to give money to one disease and not another. There's
literally thousands of diseases that kill people.

"I did get the statistics that according to the World Health
Organization, 70 percent of AIDS cases are through homosexual men
having sex without using condoms, and those who use intravenous
drugs. You probably won't get AIDS if don't fall into that category.
Nobody's been able to give me any statements that differ from that.

"To me, 90 percent of the funding was to hire people to give out lube
and condoms at dance clubs and crack houses. I personally disagree
with that. I think people are responsible for their own actions."

Ford also voted against the rest of the $48.5-million in grants that
the city is providing to community groups.

"We just don't have the money," says Ford. "If they want funding,
they should go to the private sector or to professional fundraisers
like Kiwanis."

Councillor Kyle Rae, who chairs the Toronto Board Of Health
subcommittee on AIDS, says Ford is deluded.

"Ninety percent of the people in the world who are HIV-positive are
heterosexual," says Rae, who is openly gay. "In sub-Saharan Africa,
it certainly isn't gay men or IV-drug users who have AIDS."

Rae says council is tired of Ford. (According to 2003 election
results, voters are not. Ford won the ward with 79.4 percent of the votes.)

"He's got no understanding or sensitivity. Everyone in the room
groaned, except Mike Del Grande. I think they're embarrassed that we
have a buffoon on council. I think he is fairly ostracized within
council. It's almost like we're stuck with him."

Last year Ford attempted to cancel a $100,000 grant that the city had
given to Pride Toronto, which injects an estimated $80-million in the
city's economy each year. Ford also attempted last year to cancel a
$3,000 grant to the LGBT Youth Line.

"People might think this is funny but I don't know what it
[transexual/trans-gendered] means," Ford told council then. "I know
what lesbian, gay, bisexual [is]. Transsexual and transgendered, can
you explain what that means?... I'm a little confused. I'm not
getting the answers. I don't understand. Number one, I don't
understand a transgender. I don't understand. Is it a guy that
dresses up like a girl or a girl that dresses up as a guy? And we're
funding this?.... We're funding this for, what does it say here,
we're giving them $3,210.

"I just want to know if we fund heterosexual youth that want to talk
or have problems."

Ford was most recently in the news when he was forced to apologize
after going on a drunken, profanity-filled rant at an Apr 15 Maple Leafs game.

Ford faces two opponents in November's municipal election, Ali
Cadigia and Mike McKenna.

The munical election is Mon, Nov 13. For more info, check out
Toronto.ca/vote2006.