Badge bites back as LGBTQ cops tell mayor to cut Pride cash

Members of the TPS employee group known as LBGTQ Internal Support Network are demanding Toronto cancel the $260,000 cash gift to Pride Toronto for its annual parade and festivities. They put it in writing to Mayor Tory and had it delivered Wednesday by the police union president Mike McCormick. The letter says it is “unacceptable” for Toronto to sponsor this year’s Pride event when the Toronto Police Service has been excluded from participating. The letter says “we, as city employees, would feel completely devalued and unsupported by our employer should they fund this event at this time.” There is already a movement at City Council led by Councilor Jon Burnside to de-fund Pride until it rescinds the ban which was instigated by Black Lives Matters.