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[EnderD_503]

Originally Posted by betenoire

Also - nothing good rhymes with Left. So there couldn't be a fun catchphrase to go with the movement.

Well, they could always go with the United Front of Lefty Pinkos, or possibly Lefty Bicycle Riding Pinkos...name courtesy of Mr. Don Cherry, of course

Anyways, so I saw an article in Metro the other day and thought I'd share to see what current/former Torontonians and others thought.

Attack In Gay Village a Hate Crime: Police
TORSTAR NEWS SERVICE
Published: January 31, 2011 5:43 a.m.
Last modified: January 30, 2011 8:45 p.m.

Toronto Police are calling a recent late-night assault in the Gay Village a hate crime, stoking concerns the neighbourhood is no longer safe.

Ryan Lester, 30, was kicked in the face and called “faggot” while getting a post-bar snack at Mehran Restaurant on Church St. early Saturday Jan. 22. His 24-year-old brother, Ben, suffered deep bruises on his back and had to go to the dentist to repair a broken molar.

The beating comes on the heels of allegations that local students from Jarvis Collegiate have been hurling slushies, ice and homophobic slurs at residents in the Gay Village.

While one victim believes the slushie incident was a crime of opportunity, Lester said he used to have a sense of security in the Gay Village, but the recent incidents have him on edge.

“I think all of us (now have) a false sense of security in the village. I thought of it as an inherently safe space. If you have a problem with gay people, you just don’t go there,” Lester said.

Eoin McManus, 21, and Benjamin McCall, 21, both of Toronto, have each been charged with two counts of assault and one count of mischief after breaking the restaurant’s front window.

Toronto Police recorded 174 hate crimes in 2009, the most recent year for which statistics are available. Twenty six were related to sexual orientation.

Source: http://www.metronews.ca/toronto/loca...e-crime-police

Thoughts on Lester's suggestion that the Village is becoming less safe? Are Torontonians (or Canadians at large) becoming more tolerant or intolerant? How does this all fit (or does it at all?) within the backdrop of increased support for politicians representing the Christian right?