The gay Pride festival should be denied city funding if the activist group Queers Against Israeli Apartheid is allowed to participate, mayoral candidate John Tory said at a debate held by a Jewish group on Friday — reigniting a long-running city hall debate that appeared to have finally dissipated.

Pride received a government grant of $160,500 this year. About 50 people marched under the QuAIA banner in the WorldPride parade, a group representative says — out of about 12,000 registered marchers in total.

City manager Joe Pennachetti concluded in 2011 that “there is no legal precedent” to suggest the phrase “Israeli apartheid” constitutes a hate crime or a violation of the provincial human rights code.

The city’s top lawyer, solicitor Anna Kinastowski, told council in 2013 that the phrase appears to be “protected speech” under the law and does not violate the city’s human rights policy.

Speaking in front of the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies, Tory argued that Kinastowski’s opinion was “wrong.”

To enthusiastic applause, he said he would vote against the grant if QuAIA were allowed to participate next year.

“I believe the city should have found that an organization like that, with the sort of rhetoric and whatnot that it puts forward, is not consistent with the city’s human rights policy. But that finding was reached in an intensely political climate,” he said.

“I’ve marched many times in the Pride parade as well, and it’s a great celebration of human rights and a whole bunch of things. I just don’t think there’s really any place for that kind of virulent kind of political — they should go have their demonstration somewhere else that day if they want.”

Tory called the group a “little band” that was mostly “unnoticed” in this year’s parade; “sometimes you wonder,” he said, “if just paying no attention to them might make them go away.” But he said the issue is a matter of principle for him.

Tory’s position was blasted by QuAIA organizer Tim McCaskell, who said he was “flabbergasted” that the issue had come up once more. In addition to the decision from Pennachetti, he said, QuAIA has now been approved twice by the official dispute-resolution body Pride set up to deal with such matters.

“For this guy to suddenly make this thing an issue again when it is, like, so 2011 — it’s the height of foolishness,” McCaskell said. “Why would he do that? Obviously he has no idea what’s happening at Pride, what process this has been going through. I don’t know whose votes he thinks he’s going to win with this, but my Lord.”

Pride draws hundreds of thousands of visitors to the city and generates millions in tax revenue and economic activity.

Chow also spoke strongly against hate speech and anti-Semitism at the Simon Wiesenthal Center debate. She said, though, that she accepts the city’s ruling on QuAIA, and she noted that it is Pride, not the activist group itself, that is getting the city money.

“I don’t think it’s fair to pull the Pride Toronto funding because of this one group,” Chow said.

“We do know that freedom of expression, as I talked about, is the heart of our values. That’s what democracy’s about. If it’s hate, that’s a different story,” she said.

“The city, and the city solicitor, found that while many may not like or agree with the view of QuAIA, it didn’t constitute the definition of hate, which is why it’s allowed.”

In years past, the city grant has made up about 10 per cent of Pride’s budget. In a unanimous 2012 compromise, council approved the annual grant but condemned the phrase “Israeli apartheid.”

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Tory and Chow also participated in the ProudTOvote debate on gay and lesbian issues at Ryerson University on Friday night. Tory, reiterating his stance, said city policy should be changed if it doesn’t currently prohibit “Israeli apartheid.” Chow drew loud applause when she said the festival should be funded regardless of QuAIA’s participation.

Candidate Doug Ford declined to attend the debate. Tory and Chow did not mention him once — nor Mayor Rob Ford, who has been openly hostile to the gay community.

Chow, impassioned, cited specific examples from her long history of advocacy for the community. Tory spoke more broadly and calmly, but he too was unequivocal in his support.

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