Facebook site attracts gay pride flag supporters

TRURO - Within four days of creating a Facebook group, Fly The Pride Flag in Truro, NS, almost 1,500 members signed on.

Truro resident Sharon Farrell says she started the group on the popular Internet social networking site in reaction to the town's decision to decline a local man's request to raise the pride flag in front of town hall.

Council voted 6-1 against flying the rainbow flag to coincide with gay pride activities taking place in Pictou County this week.

"When I put up the site, it was a cathartic thing to release my anger about the whole thing," said Farrell, who has a background in community service work. She had no idea people from across the country would be so fast to show solidarity in what she believes is an issue of discrimination.

On the Facebook group, a flurry of comments and activity has taken place since she created the site on Saturday. The description on the site itself says it is, "a place for those who support the right of the individual to be honoured and respected for all our differences and all those things that bring us together."

Various comments, mainly in support of flying the flag, have been written on the page, including solemn pledges to boycott Truro. One woman wrote:

"I have a cottage near Truro. I used to buy my gas and groceries there but I will be filling up in Halifax from now on before I leave and buying my groceries in the city as well. I will not spend anymore money in that town until he flies the flag and issues an apology and I encourage my friends to do the same."

Farrell says the town's reputation has been nationally damaged because of the town's decision to refuse the flag, a story that has attracted national media coverage from CBC and CTV.

"I think that Mayor Mills has always wanted to put Truro on the map, and I think he has done that, but not in the way he intended."

A petition in support of the flag will be presented to the town.