Tara Kearsey
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Jun 16/00) - A request to declare June 23 as Gay Pride Day in the city prompted a heated debate by councillors at Monday's city council meeting.

The event is recognized internationally as a celebration of the lives of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people and their struggle for equality.

Council was caught in a three against three split when the motion was introduced, forcing Mayor Dave Lovell to break the tie.

Councillors Alan Woytuik, Robert Slaven and Blake Lyons voted against the motion, while David McCann, Ben McDonald and Bob Brooks voted in favour. Cheryl Best and Kevin O'Reilly could not attend the meeting.

"I don't see a particular need for it ... to bring attention to alternate lifestyles - I don't think it's necessary," Woytuik said during the meeting.

He said the proper location for gays and lesbians to bring attention to a lack of human rights is in the courtroom, not in the streets.

When Lovell voted in favour of the motion, sighs of relief were heard from supporters of the gay and lesbian community who attended the meeting. Coun. Brooks applauded. Coun. Lyons said he would vote in favour of the proclamation if it was for `Gay Equality Day,' however he believed the term `pride' was associated with terms such as vanity, conceit and arrogance.

"I cannot support the word pride, I shall support the word equality," said Lyons.

Coun. McDonald advised the other councillors to think long and hard about voting against the motion.

He feared if the motion was defeated, the city could be setting itself up for a legal battle.

"People who vote against it are setting the taxpayers up for a fall and setting the city up for a national disgrace," said McDonald.

Gay Pride Day will be celebrated on June 23.

Cake will be served in front of the post office, compliments of the OutNorth organization.