Remember the Pickering councillor who wrote an opinion piece about Black History Month being racist?
Well, it looks like the city’s council wants Counc. Lisa Robinson dealt with once and for all and is seeking out the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s (OHRC) assistance.
Pickering council voted on a motion Monday night to request that the OHRC step in to help evaluate the behaviour of Robinson, in regards to statements she made that have upset Black communities and other marginalized groups, including the 2SLGBTQ+.
In February, she wrote an opinion piece in the Oshawa-Durham Central Newspaper and said Black History Month is just another way to exclude other groups of people.
“In the race to equality is not the celebration of one race over another in itself racist,” she wrote.
“How does the color of my skin make me privileged? I have had to work hard for everything I own. The point here is that we are all [modern day slaves]. We are led to believe that we have choices,” she continued.
Robinson even claimed that politicians only use the month to get the “Afro-Canadian vote” by extension insulting public servants and Black citizens.
This isn’t her first time upsetting members of the community.
In fact, she’s had her pay suspended twice before for promoting “attitudes which are homophobic and transphobic” on one occasion, and for making a post on Facebook that was borderline “passive-aggressive bullying.”
As a result, the main goal of Monday’s motion was to suggest that the Municipal Act be changed so public officials who promote any forms of racism and discrimination be stripped of their title and removed from office.
The motion was put forth by Coun. Maurice Brenner and seconded by Coun. Mara Nagy.
The motion also asks the OHRC to advise the city on mandatory training for all councillors and staff on the Ontario Human Rights Code, among advice on other tools.
In response, Robinson is sticking to what she said and isn’t going anywhere.
“It’s unfortunate that when people can’t handle the truth, they resort to bullying tactics such as continuous name calling and/or silencing your voice until they break you and you give up. Well, as I said tonight at the council meeting ‘I will never step down,’” she posted on X on Tuesday.
