Coun. Doug Ford is defending his brother’s decision to again skip Toronto’s Pride parade and he is denying renewed claims that the mayor is homophobic.

Mayor Rob Ford has never attended the annual parade, a hugely popular celebration attended by previous mayors, and he is facing fresh criticism over the reason he gave for missing this year’s event.

At a mayoral candidates forum at the University of Toronto’s Scarborough campus Wednesday night, the mayor strayed from the usual reason that he gives reporters – that he chooses to skip the parade because it coincides with an annual gathering at the Ford family cottage.

“I’m not going to go to Pride parade. I have never gone to a Pride parade so I’m not going to change the ways I am,” Rob Ford said at the student-run public forum, drawing jeers from the crowd.

After the event, the mayor refused to explain what he meant by “the ways I am,” leaving it up to the public to interpret the remark. The mayor was not at city hall Thursday, and his staff said he was taking a sick day.

Taking his usual position of defence, Doug Ford said the mayor has gay friends and supports the fact that the event will bring in a lot of visitors, but he “just chooses not to go.”

Doug Ford said he and the mayor will “keep with the family tradition” and be out of town when the parade takes place June 29.

“You know he’s not homophobic. I think those are strong words,” Doug Ford told reporters Thursday. “He’s just not going to march in the parade, that’s his choice.”

Whether the mayor should attend the parade or not has become an annual debate in Toronto since Rob Ford was elected in 2010.

Last June, he attended his first Pride Week event – the rainbow flag raising outside city hall. This year, the celebrations take on greater significance because Toronto’s usual 10-day festival is being replaced by World Pride.

Pride Toronto responds

Pride Toronto executive director Kevin Beaulieu, a World Pride organizer, said Rob Ford’s comments at the forum are “very” disturbing, and he is also troubled by allegations that the mayor uttered an anti-gay slur while he was videotaped.

Beaulieu said the mayor’s decision not to attend the parade surprised him because the invitations have not been sent out yet, and there is an expectation that the mayor of Toronto should be there.

“I’ve often said and I stand by it that the mayor should want to be at Pride,” he said.

Because it’s an election year, the festival would give candidates a chance to show their support for LGBQT communities, Beaulieu said.

Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly said he has never criticized Rob Ford for not attending the parade, but the mayor should attend this year’s celebration because it is part of World Pride.

“Given the unique circumstance of the upcoming parade I think the mayor should take a break from his usual schedule and participate in an event that will project Toronto all across the world,” Kelly told CP24 reporter Katie Simpson.

Doug Ford wouldn’t take his kids to parade again

Doug Ford said he supports the parade but he wouldn’t take his children to it again because he doesn’t want to expose them to the public nudity that is a common sight along the parade route.

“You know what’s ironic? I spoke to some folks in the gay community and they said they weren’t going because they didn’t like the idea of middle-aged men with potbellies running down the street buck naked, and they didn’t feel comfortable that they could bring their kids there,” the councillor said. “I was down there and I brought my kids down there and I wouldn’t bring my kids back when there’s buck naked men running down the street.”

Doug Ford disputed the notion that he was “dissing” the gay community with his remarks.

“Do I condone men running down the middle of Yonge Street buck naked? Absolutely not,” he said. “Maybe there are some people in the city that approve of that, maybe they can bring their kids down to watch this.”

The parade isn’t family friendly “when guys are running down the street buck naked,” Doug Ford added.

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