This Wednesday, March 10th, 2021, Toronto City Council will be debating motion DM30.2 (MM 28.9 deferred from Feb 2nd) to cancel advertising spending in an ethnic publication, self-described as the only Italian news daily, Corriere Canadese. The president and publisher, Joe Volpe, has engaged in ongoing bullying of the 2SLGBTQ+ community and allies that dare challenge systemic barriers that exist in public institutions. The articles present as news reports on the Toronto Catholic District School Board, but use inaccuracies and religious arguments to try to justify harmful statements towards our marginalized youth at the TCDSB, as well as the Catholic school community as a whole.
It’s important to note that it is our understanding that Corriere Canadese was once a treasured and highly respected source of information in the Italian-Canadian community, however, since Joe Volpe began leading in 2013, and then relentlessly targeting the 2SLGBTQ+ Catholic community in 2019, journalistic standards have deteriorated and he has caused unwanted negative attention to others at the newspaper, as well as within the Italian-Canadian community. Many wonderful, loving and inclusive Italian-Canadians have expressed that Joe Volpe does not speak for them!!
That is why we need your help right now! Please contact city council members listed below to ask them to support Kristyn Wong-Tam’s motion DM30.2, essentially to: STOP FUNDING HATE WITH OUR TAXPAYER DOLLARS. Once complete, please share this call to action.
The City of Toronto’s Human Rights and Anti-Harassment/Discrimination Policy states that we “will not tolerate, ignore, or condone discrimination or harassment and are committed to promoting respectful conduct, tolerance and inclusion”, and it is required that all organizations in contract with the city sign a Declaration of Compliance, however advertising vendors have been historically excluded, with staff citing Financial Control Bylaw 71.
The City's advertising dollars should not be invested in a newspaper that espouses discrimination and harassment against the LGBTQ2S+ community or any other charter protected minority group, elected officials or a public school board.
Targets within the TCDSB community have included private citizens, teachers as well as ally Trustees De Domenico, Di Pasquale, Li Preti and Rizzo… with published articles going as far as name-calling them “buffoons”, “gadflies”, “thugs”, “rat pack”, “urban terrorists” and “gangsters” among others; as well as publishing private information, photos, even manipulating photos of these individuals to support his storylines, in multiple memes printed and posted to Instagram.
NOTE: As a result of this motion, Joe Volpe has issued libel notices to the councillor and trustees mentioned above who voiced support... in what we believe to be an effort to silence them.
Further, Corriere Canadese has defamed YouthLine, a youth-led charity that affirms and supports LGBTQ2S+ youth that provides life-saving peer support and educational resources that helps fill the gap that exists within our system.
Due to this not being an isolated incident and the particularly egregious and visible policy violations that exist in the content of articles and memes provided as background, this motion must be supported by our city to make it clear that: Further marginalizing our vulnerable youth and families will NOT be condoned or tolerated in this great city that prides itself on the diversity of our communities, Toronto.
That is why we need your help right now! Please contact city council members listed below to ask them to support Kristyn Wong-Tam’s motion DM30.2, essentially to: STOP FUNDING HATE WITH OUR TAXPAYER DOLLARS. Once complete, please share this call to action.
Thank you in advance for lending your voice. A very short voicemail or email is most effective.
Voicemail sample:
“Councilor________, please help protect the LGBTQ+ youth and their allies in Catholic schools by voting to pass Kristyn’s Motion DM30.2 on March 10th”
Email sample:
“Councilor________, please help protect the LGBTQ+ youth and their allies in Catholic schools by voting to pass Kristyn’s Motion DM30.2 on March 10th.
Voting to NOT support this motion would send a message that you are willing to tolerate and ignore this type of discrimination/harassment, against the city’s very own policies, which call on everyone in contract with the City of Toronto to promote respectful conduct, tolerance and inclusion.”
Contacts:
Mayor John Tory
Phone: 416-397-CITY (2489)
Email: mayor_tory@toronto.ca
Michael Ford
Phone: 416-397-9255
Email: councillor_mford@toronto.ca
Stephen Holyday
Phone: 416-392-4002
Email: councillor_holyday@toronto.ca
Mark Grimes
Phone: 416-397-9273
Email: councillor_grimes@toronto.ca
Frances Nunziata
Phone: 416-392-4091
Email: councillor_nunziata@toronto.ca
James Pasternak
Phone: 416-392-1371
Email: councillor_pasternak@toronto.ca
Anthony Perruzza
Phone: 416-338-5335
Email: councillor_perruzza@toronto.ca
Mike Colle
Phone: 416-338-2500
Email: councillor_colle8@toronto.ca
Jaye Robinson
Phone: 416-395-6408
Email: councillor_robinson@toronto.ca
Denzil Minnan-Wong
Phone: 416-397-9256
Email: councillor_minnan-wong@toronto.ca
Brad Bradford
Phone: 416-338-2755
Email: councillor_bradford@toronto.ca
Gary Crawford
Phone: 416-392-4052
Email: councillor_crawford@toronto.ca
Michael Thomson
Phone: 416-397-9274
Email: councillor_thompson@toronto.ca
Nick Mantas
Phone: 416-392-1374
Email: Councillor_Mantas@toronto.ca
Cynthia Lai
Phone: 416-338-2858
Email: councillor_lai@toronto.ca
Jennifer McKelvie
Phone: 416-338-3771
Email: councillor_mckelvie@toronto.ca