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The following letter is an open letter to the City of Richmond Hill from Pflag Canada York Region, which has launched an integrity commissioner complaint after it appeared in a a video that Deputy Mayor Godwin Chan was applauding and nodding in response to a statement made by Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre that the organization views as anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ+. Chan has apologized for the incident.
I want to thank you all for the meeting a few weeks ago. It was a great discussion, great questions from everyone. It provided us with a better understanding of how this incident impacted you all and town staff. I would like to thank Councillor Chan in particular for attending. I know that probably wasn't an easy choice, but attending the meeting knowing there would likely be some challenging perspectives directed at you deserves some recognition.
At that meeting, I provided Councillor Chan with my suggestion for how to move forward from this incident. I recommended a more specific apology, to use his learning moment as an opportunity to reframe the perception coming out of the incident and ensure Richmond Hill residents were corrected and had access to leaders in their communities who challenge the discriminatory rhetoric that was shared by Pierre Poilievre.
I shared that support for our marginalized communities is not an issue of the political right vs left as it had been framed culturally, at least it shouldn't be. It's frankly a reflection of one's character and how one navigates these learning moments and the advice they heed is also a reflection of that.
This was not a request for funding, or a policy change, it was a patient but firm demand for respect because that is what our community deserves. That is what transgender and gender diverse people specifically deserve, especially with today's rhetoric.
We have not seen Councillor Chan act on the advice I provided and he has not been in contact. Our group at Pflag YR, our community, and I have been more than patient and have afforded Councillor Chan with the tools and advice to move forward from this incident.
As a result, today I filed a formal complaint with the integrity commissioner and we will be seeking to formally hold Councillor Chan accountable for these events. We are thankful tools like this exist to hold our elected officials accountable when appropriate.
Tristan Coolman
President, Pflag Canada York Region
Community Call to Action
Contact Richmond Hill councillors, advise them on the importance of supporting our LGBTQ2IA+ community and your concerns about the perceptions left by the video available.
Mayor David West, Deputy, Mayor and Regional Councillor Godwin Chan, Regional Councillor Joe DiPaola, Ward 1 Councillor - Carol Davidson, Ward 2 Councillor - Scott Thompson, Ward 3 Councillor - Castro Liu, Ward 4 Councillor - Simon Cui, Ward 5 Councillor - Karen Cilevitz, Ward 6 Councillor - Michael Shiu
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Letter Writing Tips
- keep it short, readable within three minutes or less.
- share a personal experience as a parent, as a community member watching anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric growing by the day, how does that impact you? How does it make you feel?
- remain positive, but firm. Refrain from disrespectful language the councillors receive a flood of emails daily. Though we understand how emotional this issue is, refrain from accusatory language. Focus on personal impact.
