August 2, 2011

Dear Councillors Holyday and Minnan-Wong, I am writing to you both today as a resident of Toronto to express my concern regarding your outbursts during the July 28th, 2011 Special Executive Committee Meeting. More specifically, the outbursts during the deputation of Toronto Women's City Alliance representative Jennifer Arango. As a young woman living in Toronto I was surprised that Councillor Minnan-Wong felt it necessary to call a Point of Order during Ms. Arango's deputation, stating that she was not speaking to the item on the Agenda and asking the Mayor to advise the deputatant to "stay on topic." As Ms. Arango clearly stated the Service changes proposed would affect women and girls in Toronto intimately. I wonder, then, why it was out of order for her to note that there are only two women on the Executive Committee. She is correct to mention that this is not representative of the City of Toronto's population nor is it representative of Council. This observation provided a context for Ms. Arango's deputation regardless of how uncomfortable it may have made you, Councillor Minnan-Wong and Councillor Holyday. Women and girls are affected in different ways by your decisions at City Hall. Due to the fact that neither of you are women, or identify as women, Ms. Arango's deputation could have been an excellent opportunity for you both to listen to and learn from someone who has firsthand knowledge about the impact of your decisions on women and girls in our City. That her observation aroused such anger in you both served only to demonstrate her point and provided an excellent example of how women are all too often silenced in the decision making processes. When Councillor Minnan-Wong's Point of Order did not silence Ms. Arango in the way it was intended, Councillor Holyday proceeded to shout over Ms. Arango and interrupt her. This behaviour is not just disrespectful but it is also sexist. As a City Councillor and as the Deputy Mayor it is your job, Councillor Holyday, to set an example and to treat each Torontonian equally. Trying to silence Ms. Arango with your words is the same as trying to silence her with your hands and should be looked on as no less harmful to her and every other woman who may attempt to insert herself into the decision making process. Ms. Arango was speaking as a representative of an Organization dedicated to women and girls and her expertise deserved to take the floor unchallenged. I wonder if perhaps you felt attacked by Ms. Arango's observation? I understand that it is never easy for men of power to acknowledge their male privilege, to look critically at how their gender may bestow a sense of entitlement upon them. It is sometimes easier to attack women who make us uneasy than it is to really scrutinize our own behaviours. Councillors, there are only two women on your Executive Committee. This is a fact that you cannot change by disrespecting a young woman who has the audacity to point it out to you. The only way to change this fact is to make it transparent and have open, honest discussions about why it is so. You missed your opportunity to positively contribute to that kind of environment and discussion. Ms. Arango presented herself in accordance with the rules of Council, was respectful, and thanked the Mayor and the Committee for inviting Torontonians to speak. Despite the fact that Councillor Minnan-Wong's Point of Order was not upheld and Ms. Arango was told to continue by Mayor Ford, Councillor Holyday felt it was appropriate to shout her down. Unfortunately, Ms. Arango was not treated with the respect she deserved and, more importantly, the respect that

she has every right to. It is my hope that we can all learn something constructive from this process and the problems that arose from it. I hope that the women and girls of this City take your behaviour as a call to become more involved in their City politics and challenge such attitudes. I also hope that you can see how the way you treated this deputant sets a bad example and created a threatening , sexist atmosphere and that is no environment in which to make decisions that affect us all.

Sincerely,

Tasia Alexopoulos PhD Candidate School of Womens Studies, York University