Q4P-O is standing up for resistance to oppression, discrimination and hatred. These are core values of Pride and the parade is the most appropriate place and time to express them. Clearly something Mr. Sutcliffe does not want to understand.
Dear Paula Tran and the Ottawa Citizen newsroom,
I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) regarding the article “Capital Pride opens up about parade fallout, Queers for Palestine” by Paula Tran published on September 1, 2025.
I want to thank you for publishing this somewhat balanced article but also inform you about critical context that is omitted. Overall the article implicitly blames Q4P-O (Queers for Palestine, Ottawa) for the cancelling of the Pride Parade. This is not entirely true. Instead of villainizing one group you have omitted a significant actor in this drama - Mayor Mark Sutcliffe. He has a history of lacking compassion for Palestinians and is a supporter of Israel in spite of increasing worldwide agreement that it is committing genocide.
The mayor was asked to speak at the parade and he refused. In the words of Ottawa doctor Yipeng Ge who was actually there, “Negotiations took place between Queers for Palestine and capital pride, and attempts were made to bring Mark Sutcliffe up to face accountability in front of community. He cowered, said no, remaining in the parade”.
The mayor could have said something or left but chose not to. He must be held accountable for his actions, not just Q4P-O, and this should be part of your article.
Will you publish a correction to this report to reflect the mayor's essential role in the story?
It is no longer debatable what is going on in Gaza and the West Bank. It is genocide. Many respected humanitarian organizations have been saying so for a year and a half. Just yesterday, the International Association of Genocide Scholars -- the world's leading experts in this field of study, and a non-partisan group -- declared that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. It does not get any more serious than this.
Q4P-O is standing up for resistance to oppression, discrimination and hatred. These are core values of Pride and the parade is the most appropriate place and time to express them. Clearly something Mr. Sutcliffe does not want to understand.
Reporting like the Ottawa Citizen's, in this particular case, only adds to the imbalance of the Israel-Palestine issue. It doesn't give readers anywhere near the full story, does nothing help victims achieve justice, and only serves to protect the perpetrator, Israel.
Thank you for reading and I look forward to your response.
Jeff Winch