Chatham-Kent politician faces death threats, council rejection of flag ban bid
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A Chatham-Kent councillor says she got death threats over her motion to ban special-interest flags, including Pride flags, from municipal buildings here, a proposal council voted down April 24.
While making her case for a motion that would allow only the Canadian, Ontario and Municipality of Chatham-Kent flags to be flown, Rhonda Jubenville revealed she has received hateful messages.
“I’ve been called words that I had to look up,” she said, adding she got two death threats and had “a witch’s spell cast on me, all because I feel our three governmental flags are what is needed outside municipal centres.”
“Why would I now, as a councillor, feel compelled to support some of these groups that wish me death and hate over a flag?” she added. “This should concern all of council.”
Mayor Darrin Canniff and other councillors denounced the hateful messages Jubenville faced.
The North Kent councillor drew fire after launching a motion to ban non-government flags from municipal buildings on learning a request from a Right to Life Kent went unanswered by the mayor’s office.
Jubenville noted for the record she is neither racist nor anti-LGBTQ+. “I know and love many people in all of these communities.”.
Chatham Coun. Michael Bondy offered a friendly amendment that any exception to Jubenville’s proposed flag policy would be up to council. The aim was not to have council kick the issue back to staff to come up with a policy, he said.
“I just believe (any exceptions) should be a council decision . . . ,” he said. “Then we all wear it.”
Jubenville agreed the decision on flags should be made by council. “If that can’t happen, a flag policy will not help us remedy this situation,” she said.
Jubenville cited the vandalizing of Pride flags in Norwich Township last June. “Is this what we want to see happen here? I don’t,” she said.
She said her motion aimed to bring “all of us together, not create division.”
Marianne Willson, representing the Chatham-Kent Gay Pride Association, which opposed Jubenville’s motion, noted the Pride flag was first flown in Chatham-Kent in 2000, followed by the Transgender Pride flag in 2018.
“Pride flags are signal of support, safety and hope the 2SLGBTQIA+ community worldwide,” she told council.
“When the municipality raises these flags it shows collective concern for the dignity of the marginalized.”
Willson said her group wants the municipality to develop a flag-raising policy that includes an evaluation based on diversity, equity, inclusion and justice.
Jane Wright, a Right to Life Kent board member, told council: “I support the right of every group of good intent to fly their flag.”
The failure of Jubenville’s motion may not result in improvement if time is spent reviewing flag-raising applications, she said. “A decision could still be arbitrary if someone has an axe to grind against a group.”
With Jubenville’s motion, “there is no expense, no dissention and no discrimination,” she added.
Chatham Coun. Brock McGregor said it is important the municipality allow what is often a “very important, symbolic step for groups that are traditionally not included in communities.”
Municipal leaders have a responsibility to create and promote an inclusive community, he said. But that does not mean accepting such things as misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, anti-Black or anti-Indigenous racism.
“Neutrality is not . . . a stance you can take (on) important issues where people have their safety at risk,” he added.
Council backed Chatham Coun. Marjorie Crew’s motion calling on staff to develop a flag-raising policy and protocol, after consultation and a review of other communities’ policies, and bring a draft for council consideration in September.
“It’s not fair to put all the decisions when they’re controversial on . . . one group of people within our organization, without . . . guidelines and clear, consistent practices,” Crew said.
Council would vote on the policy, and “if we don’t like it, change things, add things, whatever,” she added.
But Jubenville, while expressing her respect for staff, was concerned creation of the policy “might get lost in translation.”
“I want it to be in council’s hands, because I feel that we were elected to make all decisions,” she said.
With files from Trevor Terfloth, Chatham Daily News
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