Questions raised as Pictou County mulls flag rules

Nova Scotia's Pictou County is consideringnew rules that would prevent the gay pride flag and others from being raised at civic buildings, on the heels of a flag controversy in neighbouring Truro.

If approved, the new policy would allow only municipal, provincial, federal and First Nations flags at municipal building sites. The policy is expected to be presented duringMonday night'scouncil meeting.

Gay rights advocate Jane Morrigan said the move sends out the wrong message to the gay and lesbian community in the municipality of Pictou County.

"I'm concerned about the motives here, the way in which this is being done," Morrigan said.

"I'm objecting to the lack of due process, of public consultations for a policy that this council should have known would create some concern by the gay and lesbian community because of what happened in Truro."

Last August, Truro town council sparkeda controversy by refusing to fly a gay pride flag.

The council voted 6-1 against raising the rainbow-coloured flag to coincide with gay pride activities. Some councillors said the request came in late, but Mayor Bill Mills said as a Christian he could not support the move.

Pictou County Warden Allister MacDonald saidthe proposed flag policy for the county is not discriminatory and thata standard policy will treat everyone equally.

"If the gay community came and said fly my flag, we, under human rights, would have to fly everybody's flag," MacDonald said.

"It could be the Nazi party or the bikers, it could be anyone. And from what our understanding is, you either fly everybody's flag and you can't discriminate against anybody or youput a policy in that says these are the flags we're going to fly."

MacDonald said the municipal, provincial, federal and First Nations flags cover everyone who lives in Pictou County.

But Coun. David Parker said the proposal shouldn't fly.

"Other municipalities fly these flags routinely of various groups to support their cause and their beliefs and I don't have a problem with that. We've had no policy for 128 years. We've had no problem until it became a problem in one person's mind," Parker said.