Rural politician quits in protest as colleagues approve ban on Pride flags

A local politician who led a push to promote LGBTQ+ inclusion in Norwich Township quit mid-meeting Tuesday night as her council colleagues gave final approval to a ban on non-government flags, including Pride flags, on municipal property.

count. Alisha Stubbs told her colleagues she’s resigning immediately after politicians in the rural Southwestern Ontario township voted 3-2 to formally approve the flag-flying ban that’s drawn widespread attention on the community southeast of London.

“I refuse to participate in this any longer,” Stubbs said. “The dog whistles and blatant discrimination. I refuse to participate in this. The hypocrisy of decisions made for peace while many citizens here feel fear. I refuse to participate in this.”

Stubbs also said she refused to be part of “negative talk and slander” about her after meetings and a “lack of leadership by this council that panders to religious groups.”

Her announcement, which concluded with sharing advice for council, drew applause and cheers from members in the gallery, who were earlier told by Norwich Mayor Jim Palmer to leave because of their pushback to politicians’ remarks during a debate.

Norwich Township, population 11,000, has drawn unprecedented attention after council voted last month to restrict flag-flying on its turf to government banners – effectively banning Pride flags – and for rejecting Stubbs’s move to designate June as Pride month.

count. John Scholten, who introduced the ban, said at the April 25 meeting that flying only government flags would “maintain the unity” of the township.

Many activists and residents disagree and have pointed to the Netherlands Reformed Congregation, a local church in the community, as having an influence on the council decision.

The bylaw passed Tuesday states the township has “an obligation to maintain political, religious and cultural neutrality” and that messages displayed on civic buildings and streetlight poles “may be considered community-messages.”

A lengthy debate over whether to defer the vote broke out after politicians quibbled with a section of the bylaw stating the flag ban did not apply to banners for the community’s junior and minor hockey teams.

“This just opens up the floodgates here,” Coun. Shawn Gear said.

“I just made a shortlist the other day. Like baseball banners? They’re down in Otterville Park. Then we start getting into our sponsorship banners that are around our parks and in our arenas. We get into our Christmas decorations,” he continued, listing off examples.

“Even if I was in support of this, I couldn’t stand behind the simple literature of it.”

Councilors Scholten and Adrian Couwenberg agreed one hockey team shouldn’t be singled out and supported tabling the vote.

“I agree with this bylaw up until the number one (point). We just want to stay politically, religiously and culturally neutral,” Couwenberg said, drawing opposition from the gallery.

Two local residents, including a member of a group called Norwich Residents for Love and Acceptance, presented delegations Tuesday in a last-ditch effort to dissuade council from passing the ban.

Gear and Stubbs voted against the ban. The mayor, Couwenberg and Scholten voted for it.

The council term is barely halfway through its first of four years. It wasn’t immediately clear how council would fill the vacancy. Stubbs left her now-former colleagues with parting words before the meeting ended.

“Advocate for people the same way you advocate for roads. Use your power for good. When you hear of people in our community that feel unsafe, believe them. Just like you always believe the people who say that the roads are a mess,” she said.

“Read more, learn more, and then do better.”

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