Pickering councillor has pay suspended for motions deemed homophobic and transphobic

A city councillor in Durham Region has seen her pay temporarily suspended over comments she made earlier this year regarding the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

Coun. Lisa Robinson, representing Pickering Ward 1, has had her pay docked for 60 days after that city’s integrity commissioner deemed three motions she promoted to be transphobic and homophobic. It’s the second time in a month that Robinson has seen her pay docked following an investigation into her conduct.

Pickering Integrity Commissioner Janice Atwood’s recent report addressed complaints against Robinson over comments she made earlier this year on universal washrooms and changerooms for City of Pickering facilities, specifically at the Chestnut Hills Recreation Centre.

Robinson discussed the motion at length outside the Durham District School Board (DDSB) back in May. She wanted to see the recreation centre alter its policy so members could only use the changeroom corresponding to their sex assigned at birth, or the universal changerooms, but not those of the other gender.

Atwood said it was the councillor’s preamble to the changeroom motion that was found to be problematic.

“The coed universal changeroom gives an opportunity for predators to be alone with vulnerable children,” Robinson said outside the school board.

Atwood’s report found there had been no allegations of such behaviour from staff at Chestnut Hills.

Another motion addressed in the report stems from Robinson attempting to ban children from Pride parades and Drag Story Time, an event aimed at promoting diversity where drag queens read children’s books.

During her speech outside DDSB she described both types of events as “adult live performances,” and said her motion aimed to “protect children and childhood innocence.”

“The Councillor insisted to us that Drag Queen Story Time always includes a lot of gyrating and shaking,” reads the integrity commissioner’s report. “However, when we asked whether she had ever attended herself or witnessed this behaviour at such an event, she confirmed she had not.”

During the same speech Robinson discussed a third motion which would block schools from flying Pride flags.

Atwood found the “extremely public” way in which Robinson promoted her motions to be a form of “populism.”

“Political support is sought by speaking to those in the community who hold extreme and intolerant views,” said Atwood.

Pickering Mayor Kevin Ashe says he supports the suspension of pay and is urging Robinson to be more careful with her words moving forward.

“Words matter,” Ashe says. “They impact our community. They cause hurt.”

Robinson denied having any transphobic or homophobic views in an interview with CityNews, adding she has people close to her in her life who are members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

Back in September, Robinson had her pay suspended for 30 days following an integrity commissioner investigation that alleged her of bullying when she made a Facebook post that identified three citizens by name.

In response to the initial pay suspension, Robinson referred to herself as a “modern day slave.”