2010 is shaping into a pivotal year for politics in Toronto – one that will see two openly gay politicians seek election to two different levels of government, and a third step down after two decades as an influential city council member in Canada’s biggest city.

Elections for city council seats and the mayor’s office promise significant change for Toronto in late October, especially since the gay-friendly mayor and a very popular gay city councillor both have decided to retire when their current terms end. Kyle Rae is calling it quits as long-time city councillor for the downtown Toronto district that is home to the city’s famous gay neighbourhood, Church Wellesley Village. Rae was the first openly gay politician to sit on Toronto city council. He was elected in 1991, and continually won re-election by huge margins of victory. Residents of Rae’s ward are eagerly waiting to see if any high-profile members of the gay community will step up to seek his spot on council.

Meanwhile, another out and proud Toronto politician, George Smitherman, is preparing to launch his bid for the seat being vacated by Mayor David Miller. Smitherman was the first openly gay man to be elected as an MPP (member of provincial parliament) in the province of Ontario, and the first to be appointed as a provincial Cabinet Minister. Smitherman was Ontario’s Minister of Health from 2003 to 2008, and Minister of Energy and Infrastructure until his resignation just this past week. He also was deputy Premier.

Smitherman had been the MPP representing Toronto Centre, the same downtown area that encompasses Church Wellesley Village. It appears likely that Smitherman’s seat at the provincial Legislature will be filled by another out gay man, Glen Murray, when a by-election is held February 4 to choose a replacement MPP.  Murray made headlines around the world in 1998 when he was elected mayor of Winnipeg, Manitoba, becoming the first openly gay mayor of a major North American city. Murray was Winnipeg mayor until 2004, when he resigned to run – unsuccessfully – for federal politics. He moved to Toronto shortly afterwards, where he worked as Chair of the National Roundtable on the Environment and Economy before becoming CEO of the Canadian Urban Institute. On Wednesday night, Murray was acclaimed to run as the Liberal candidate for next month’s by-election in Toronto Centre.

Photo sources: Tanja Tiziana; Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care; Ian Myrans/CUI

2010 is shaping into a pivotal year for politics in Toronto – one that will see two openly gay politicians seek election to two different levels of government, and a third step down after two decades as an influential city council member in Canada’s biggest city. Elections for city council seats and the mayor’s office [...]

Toronto will host World Pride 2014 after winning a vote in Florida by leaders of gay and lesbian organizations around the globe.

The city’s World Pride committee thought they had won after the first vote Sunday, in which Toronto beat Stockholm, 77 votes to 61. The victory eliminated Stockholm but did not reach the two-thirds majority Toronto needed.

To read more, click http://www.thestar.com

Toronto will host World Pride 2014 after winning a vote in Florida by leaders of gay and lesbian organizations around the globe. The city’s World Pride committee thought they had won after the first vote Sunday, in which Toronto beat Stockholm, 77 votes to 61. The victory eliminated Stockholm but did not reach the two-thirds [...]

Ryan Cooke didn’t know that his fiancé had been brutally murdered seven hours earlier when he posted on his Facebook page: “HEY…does anyone know where Chris is?” at 10:04am on Sun Oct 18.

Cooke had lost his phone and no one could reach him. Police had been called to the corner of Adelaide St E and Victoria St at 3:05am by several eyewitnesses who had seen Cooke’s fiancé Chris Skinner attacked by a group of men who beat him to the ground then ran over him with an SUV. Skinner was taken to hospital where he died of his injuries.

Friends of Skinner suspect that the killing may have been a hate crime, but police haven’t drawn that conclusion.

“No, there’s not at all any indication that there were homophobic elements to the attack,” says Det Stacey Gallant.

But that doesn’t sit well with Skinner’s friends who are struggling to find a motive for the murder.

“Not a single person who knows him would say that he would cause a ruckus,” says Skinner’s long-time friend Craig Lund, “but he would stand up for himself if he was called on anything. I find that Toronto Police very rarely jump to the conclusion that homophobia exists.”

Skinner, 27, lived with Cooke and they planned to get married next summer. He worked as a graphic designer at Endeavour Marketing. Cooke could not be reached for comment at press time.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Stacy Gallant at 416−808−7410 and Detective Doug Dunstan at 416−808−7406, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416−222−8477

Source: http://www.xtra.ca

Ryan Cooke didn’t know that his fiancé had been brutally murdered seven hours earlier when he posted on his Facebook page: “HEY…does anyone know where Chris is?” at 10:04am on Sun Oct 18. Cooke had lost his phone and no one could reach him. Police had been called to the corner of Adelaide St E [...]