| Archbishop Conti Dismayed After Firefighters are Punished for ...
By The Universe: The Archbishop of Glasgow has condemned the decision to discipline nine firefighters for refusing to hand out safety leaflets at a gay pride march.Archbishop Mario Conti described the disciplinary action against the Strathclyde Fire and Rescue Service (SFR) staff as "dismaying." The nine officers were rapped by SFR after disobeying orders during the Pride Scotia rally in June. Some of the crew involved argued at the time of the gay march that it would be embarrassing for them to turn up in uniform to the event, while others claimed it would contradict their moral beliefs.Bosses have ordered the group, from Glasgow's Cowcaddens station, to undergo intensive "diversity training" as part of their punishment. One of the men involved, a watch manager, was reduced to the rank of crew manager, losing an estimated 5,000 in salary.The others have all received official written warnings about their behaviour.
A queer's history of Ottawa Pride
Exploding from 50 participants to 50,000 per year, the story of Ottawa Pride illustrates that growing up ain't easy. What started as a scenic barbecue in 1986 has grown into a weeklong 100-odd-event juggernaut, a cornerstone of Ottawa's gay community.
While Ottawa's Pride may not be the million-go-go-boy march that other cities boast of, many people are proud that Ottawa's Pride Parade has remained accessible and community based. .
Firefighters disciplined over gay pride snub
Nine Scottish firefighters who refused to hand out safety leaflets at a gay pride event were today ordered to undergo "intensive" diversity training. Some of the officers, from Cowcaddens fire station, in Glasgow, argued that it would have been "embarrassing" for them to attend the Pride Scotia festival, which took place in June, in uniform. Others claimed that taking part in the event would have contradicted their moral beliefs. However, managers at Strathclyde Fire and Rescue said the officers' refusal to distribute leaflets containing advice on fire prevention was "a fundamental breach of one of their core responsibilities". .
Tourism industry seeing a lot of green in pink
As the tourism industry in Canada struggles to maintain ground in the face of high gas prices and U.S. border issues, travel experts are looking to "pink dollars," or money spent by gay and lesbian travelers, as a sure thing. Recent U.S. research shows gay and lesbian travelers represent about 10 per of the overall travel market, but the annual amount spent is estimated at $700 million. This year was also the 20th anniversary of the Pride Week in Ottawa and it's estimated about 300,000 people attended events over the 10-day schedule. It's this combination of spending power and the growing perception of Canada as a gay-friendly country that is making pink dollars a hot commodity. "The numbers prove that the gay/lesbian consumers are one of the most loyal markets and overall less are traveling with children, so they have a larger discretionary income," says R.
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