While campaigning
for reelection, Dave Bronconnier, mayor of Calgary,
drew an angry reaction after he was accused of saying he
could not condone the gay lifestyle, according to the
Calgary Herald.
During a recent
mayoral debate, an audience member complained that city
funding went to promoting Calgary as a travel destination
for gays and lesbians. Bronconnier replied that it is
up to the tourism agency to decide how to market the
city to tourists, but added, "I hear your lifestyle
question and that's not something I can condone, but Tourism
Calgary, they have their marketing.... Would it have been my
choice for an article? Probably not."
"Our current
mayor said in a public debate that he does not approve
of this 'lifestyle,' " said Tamrin Hildebrand, executive
director of OutLink, a group representing the city's
gay and lesbian community. "To me, lifestyle implies
choice, and being a lesbian was not a choice -- the
only choice to be made was whether or not to accept it and
come out."
Bronconnier said
Wednesday that it was the question from the audience
member that he could not condone. (The Advocate)
