Minister defends decision not to fund gay arts festival

Posted on July 23, 2009
Filed Under Uncategorized

OTTAWA — Industry Minister Tony Clement says his government had to consider “regional fairness” when doling out stimulus money to big tourism events – and that’s why a gay arts festival in Montreal didn’t make the cut.

The organizers of Montreal’s Divers-Cite festival, which features gay and lesbian performers from around the world, said they were shocked to find out this week that their application for funding under the new program had been rejected.

They had been told by bureaucrats they had met all the rigorous criteria for their $155,000 bid – a fact not disputed by the government.

Director Suzanne Girard had initially scoffed at suggestions that ideology might be at play in handing out grants, but now says she suspects politics were involved.

After some Conservative caucus members complained last month that Toronto’s Pride Week had received $400,000, junior tourism minister Diane Ablonczy lost responsibility for the file.

But Clement said Wednesday there had been an “avalanche” of applications under the $100-million Marquee Tourism Events Program and decisions had to be made.

See Minister defends decision not to fund gay arts festival

The Canadian Press

* Tags = gay men gay news lesbian news transgender bisexual