Kent Driscoll
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (June 01/05) - Yellowknife's straight people will have to find another way to celebrate their lifestyle.

City council repealed Heterosexual Day at a special council meeting Monday when Coun. Alan Woytuik took back his controversial motion.

Other days, weeks and months proclaimed this year by Yellowknife City Council: Tsunami Relief Day Social Workers' Week Balsillie Cup Week Earth Day Cancer Awareness Month Noise Awareness Day World Laughter Day NWT Disability Awareness Week Gay Pride Day In previous years the council has proclaimed: White Cane Week International Women's Day Consumers Week Canadian Armed Forces Day Sneaker Day McHappy Day National Cellular Safety Week National Neighbour Day Africa Focus Day Max Ward Day World Aids Day

"I felt my point was made and there was no need to continue with the proclamation," said Woytuik, whose original request led Mayor Gord Van Tighem to proclaim June 9 as a special day for heterosexuals.

"I don't believe that any proclamation should be offensive," was how Woytuik explained his change of heart.

Woytuik went for coffee with OutNorth members over the weekend and realized how offensive his day was to the gay community.

"Coun. Woytuik invited OutNorth to get together. We had a very open and honest discussion," said OutNorth spokesman Don Babey.

"There's a perception that a special day of recognition creates an inequality... That's what I was trying to achieve, equality for all," said Woytuik.

"Some people did find it offensive. I wasn't trying to be funny, I was trying to treat everyone the same," said Woytuik.

Media across the country mentioned Yellowknife's special day, which was the day before Gay Pride celebrations.

"I didn't expect to get anywhere near this amount of attention. It was quite interesting to see that this became a national story," said Babey.

Many councillors mentioned receiving a flood of e-mails about the day, both for and against.

Babey was unhappy with the way Yellowknife looked in the national press, saying "It shows a side of Yellowknife that I think isn't truly reflective of how great this community really is."

Three years ago, the city council changed the rules about proclaiming special days. Before, council decided together what days to celebrate.

Now the Mayor rubber stamps every request, unless council objects.

"We've all become a lot more familiar with it (the proclamation policy) in the last seven days. It seems to me that it's part of the reason we ended up in this situation," said Coun. Mark Heyck.

A motion to change the proclamation policy was made directly after the motion for Heterosexual Day was passed.

It was defeated by a vote of 4-3.

There are no current plans by the city administration to review the proclamation policy. "Another option would be for a couple of the councillors that voted against the motion (to change proclamations) vote to revisit it," said Coun. Kevin O'Reilly.