St. Marys, ON | Stratford-Perth Pride received a homophobic and transphobic email from St. Marys Council candidate Barry Charles Brebner in response to their Vote with Pride campaign.
Last week Stratford-Perth Pride sent an email to mayoral, council and school trustee candidates in Stratford, St. Marys, and Perth County to take their Vote with Pride campaign pledge. Vote with Pride is a non-partisan campaign by Stratford-Perth Pride to put Two Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, Intersex and Asexual (2SLGBTQIA+) issues on the agenda in the 2022 municipal elections held in the six
municipalities of Perth County.

Brebner, who is running for a Town Council seat in St. Marys responded to our pledge request email with
homophobic and transphobic remarks. Although Brebner stated in his response that Stratford-Perth
Pride can “share [the email] with anyone and everyone [we] choose”, due to the nature of his comments
Stratford-Perth Pride will not be sharing his email to the public.

“Brebner’s comments are painful to not just our organization but to the entire 2SLGBTQIA+ community of St. Marys and Perth County”, says AJ Adams, President of Stratford-Perth Pride, “Brebner’s hate-filled stance is not aligned with the St. Marys Council and the community that Stratford-Perth Pride has gotten
to know over the past year.”

St. Marys is one of the most Pride-supportive communities in Southwestern Ontario with their recent
support including the Pride Flag raising at Town Hall, launch of the Rainbow Street Banner Program in
the downtown and a well attended St. Marys Pride Day which occurred for the first time in June.
“From overrepresentation in homelessness, mental health and addiction, school-based discrimination,
and rising hate crimes, 2SLGBTQIA+ people need elected officials to support us not gain political status to
hurt us even more,” says Adams.

St. Marys and all Ontario municipalities and school boards are holding their elections on Monday,
October 24, 2022

“St. Marys, Stratford, Perth County and all of Ontario needs to ensure that their ballot is not electing
homophobic and transphobic individuals”, adds Adams, “take the time to learn where your candidates
stand on this important issue.”

To learn more about which candidates in St. Marys, Stratford and Perth County have pledged to support
the 2SLGBTQIA+ community go to votewithpride.ca.

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