Truro in gay flag flap

Trurowon't beflyinga rainbow-coloured flag at the town hall to support gay pride activities, unlike two other nearby Nova Scotia municipalities.

Town council rejected a request from the Truro Pride group, saying it came in late and there was no time for a debate.

Lynn MacKinnon, with Truro Pride, calls this blatant discrimination.

"I thought that our town was accepting," MacKinnon told CBC News on Friday.

"The flag means to me a long, long struggle that we've had. Where we are now is pretty good, but there's been people who've been beaten and lost their jobs, so the flag represents a lot of heartaches."

Councilvoted6-1 against raising the flag to coincide with next week's gay pride activities in Pictou County.

Mayor Bill Mills is standing by the vote, saying, as a Christian,he simply could not support the request.

"God says I'm not in favour of that and I have to look at it and say, I guess I'm not either," Mills said.

The mayor said gays and lesbians already have equal opportunities and work and pension benefits, so he wonderswhat else they're fighting for.

By raising the rainbow flag, he added, that might open the door for other groups.

"If I have a group of people that says pedophiles should have rights, do we raise their flag too? I don't want to lump them in with homosexuals, but that's the point, the issues, and that's my feeling.

"There doesn't seem to be standards anymore. Everything is OK, everything is a go."

Mills said maybe next year councilwill vote to fly the rainbow flag. But even if there is a debate,he said he won't be changing his stance.

In thenearbyMunicipality of Colchester County,Mayor Mike Smithhas agreed to fly the flag.It will also be flownin New Glasgow.