How an Ontario town’s refusal to declare Pride month led to a years-long legal battle [Video]

When Douglas Judson asked the Township of Emo to declare June as Pride month and display a rainbow flag for a week in 2020, he never imagined the request would turn into a years-long legal dispute that still has no end in sight.

“This is generally a non-controversial thing to ask for,” said Judson, the co-chair of Borderland Pride. “There’s often flag raisings that are done, proclamations are made for various dates or other causes in the community.”

But the town’s refusal to proclaim Pride month has made the northwestern Ontario community of around 1,300 people, near the Minnesota border, a front line in the battle for LGBTQ+ rights.

Every June, rainbow flags are raised in municipalities across the country in recognition of Pride month and to show support for the LGBTQ+ community. As a gay man, Judson said he thought it would be nice if the town where he …