Stephen Mandel moved to Edmonton from Windsor, Ontario in 1972. He was elected to city council in 2001 and elected Edmonton’s 34th mayor in 2004. He is presently in his second term of office.

GC: What does pride mean to you?

SM: I think it is the ability for people to acknowledge who they are, respect that and flourish with it.

GC: How important has the gay tourism industry become to Edmonton.

SM: I think it is a big industry. Communities need to be gay friendly, just like they would be friendly to everybody, to be open and welcome. It is an important industry across North America, and we are as aggressive as anybody to make sure we get a share of every market.

GC: Cities like Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal have a gay area or street. West End Jasper Avenue has a very vibrant gay community. What are your thoughts on having a "gay area" in Edmonton?

SM: It is not something I have really thought that much about. I think it adds a great deal of vibrancy to the area. It will create industry for some creative businesses and creative works. That is one of the really neat things if you do have a gay area; there is more creativity that will flow into the area, which would help the city.

GC: You have participated in the Pride Parade in Edmonton, as well as host the pride brunch. Why do you get involved with pride events? Tell me more about the Mayor’s Pride Brunch in support of Camp fYrefly.

SM: ...I try not to treat it as anything different from being a city event. I am a big supporter of that event because it is a lot of fun. I don’t want to bring it down to individual rights because I think that issue is slowly beginning to disappear. This is about sharing a good time with a neat group of people. As for the brunch, it helps raise money for a camp that helps young people realize their sexual preferences and to deal with those challenges and allow them to be open.

GC: Tell me how Michael Phair had an influence on the community.

SM: Michael is great; a warm, wonderful, kind, sweet, nice, incredibly hard working young man. He is probably one of the most highly respected individuals in Edmonton and has done immense good for the gay community. He has not shied away from his sexual preference but he has just shown what a fine person he is. He is loved in Edmonton, I can tell you that.

GC: Can you see another gay councilor in City Hall?

SM: If I am going to vote for someone it is because they are going to do a good job not because they have a particular anything. If someone runs and has a strong platform, sure. That was Michael’s strength, he was a gay individual but he was a councilor first. He stood up for what he believed in but that same belief was in individual rights, he would fight just as strong for immigrant rights or any individual’s rights as he would his own. Michael epitomized the kind of person you want on City council, someone who fights for what they believe in.

GC: You raise the pride flag in front of city hall. When did that start?

SM: I don’t know if we have done it before, I only know when I became mayor I decided to do it to support a very important part of our community. It would be the same thing if it were Ukranian or Polish.

GC: What has the reaction from the public been to the rainbow flag?

SM: Nothing. I think it isn’t an issue. Those days are gone, except for a very small, lunacy group. People accept it as part of our society - let’s get on with life - which I am quite pleased about.

GC: There has been some controversy in past elections regarding anti-gay candidates, primarily an anti-gay mayoral candidate in the last election. How will city hall in the future protect minority groups from having people who are discriminatory, whether against race, sexuality, or religion, from being a part of local government?

SM: My belief is everybody has the right to express belief, within the boundaries of our hate legislation. I thought that individual went beyond that, but when those issues were approached within the court system they didn’t feel that that individual had gone too far. We must protect every individual’s rights. That includes the rights those whose say things I don’t like, as well as those who say things I somewhat agree with and things that I do agree with. If they don’t protect the individual’s rights to express opinions, as long as it is within the confines of accepted social legislative processes, then your and my rights will be taken away as well.

GC: Anything else you would like to add?

SM: It is a great community, it is vibrant and finding its roots. We are getting a reputation in the city as being friendlier than we were before. It has a lot to do with people who are part of the community, like Michael and many others, who have worked very hard to show it is an integral part of today’s Edmonton and tomorrow’s Edmonton.

GC: Thank you very much for speaking with us.

SM: My pleasure.

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