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Mayor David Bylsma, who is also a proponent of the 'All Lives Matter' movement, was already at the center of controversy for his refusal to raise the Rainbow flag over city hall for Pride month.
The mayor of a Canadian township is at the center of renewed controversy following an interview with 610 CKTB News Tuesday. West Lincoln Mayor David Bylsma made claims that "identity politics" like the movement for LGBTQ+ rights and the Black Lives Matter protests are responsible for increased violence.
"30 years of identity politics, singling out a particular right or a particular grievance from one community against the next, what has that accomplished?" Bylsma said Tuesday. "After 30 years we're more violent, we're yelling at each other louder and we're becoming more polarized."
Bylsma made headlines recently for his refusal to fly the Rainbow flag over city hall this year in recognition of Pride month. West Lincoln is a Canadian township in the Niagara Region of Ontario, and it is the only municipality in the region to not raise a Rainbow flag.
Pride Niagara had written to the mayor about the issue with no response. Bylsma initially claimed he did not receive the letter, but admitted Tuesday this was not true and that he was, in effect, too busy to respond.
"What's wrong with just the one flag?" he asked rhetorically during the interview. "It's always the perennial question. What's wrong with just a Canadian flag flying over a municipal office? Does identity politics even belong on a municipal flagpole?"
Bylsma then pivoted to the recent Black Lives Matter protests, suggesting there was no point in fighting injustice or inequity.
"There are always going to be injustices, correct. But in terms of rights what are they, what are anyone who's flying a flag whether that's Black Lives Matter in America or the Pride Flag, what are they still fighting for? Is it necessary? Or have they won?...I'm saying identity politics is not working. We have 30 years of identity politics that shows this is not the solution."
St Catharines Liberal MP Chris Bittle ably provided the perplexed Bylsma with a simple answer to his questions in a single tweet.
\u201cMayor of West Lincoln wonders "what are they (LGBTQ2 community) still fighting for?\n\nThe easy answer - bigots like you, Mr Mayor. \n\nhttps://t.co/4qWWrr3ZLy\u201d— Chris Bittle (@Chris Bittle) 1591901331
