The confirmation came on the heels of an endorsement of Ford by Wendell Brereton, a candidate for city councillor for ward 6, Etobicoke-Lakeshore. Rob Ford's campaign team later tweeted a messaging saying that Brereton had Ford's full support as well, but the tweet was quickly deleted.
Brereton, who identified himself as a Christian fundamentalist, is a pastor at Glorious Church-Faith Temple in Toronto and a former member of the Ontario Provincial Police.
He originally entered this year's municipal election as a candidate for mayor, but later withdrew and focused his sights on a councillor's seat.
On his website, the pastor states: "My kind of Toronto doesn't parade immorality and call it pride."During a media scrum in front of City Hall, Ford refused to answer questions about his personal belief regarding gay marriage, but did say he endorses Brereton's platform.
When asked if that includes Brereton's views on gay marriage, Ford wavered.
"This is about saving taxpayer's money and this is why I want Wendell Brereton part of my team," he told reporters.
After Ford and Brereton retreated into City Hall, Ford's director of communications, Adrienne Batra, clarified Ford's stance on gay marriage, saying that the Etobicoke North councillor has clearly acknowledged his belief in a traditional, heterosexual definition of marriage.
"You tell me how that impacts municipal policy and how it impacts accountability to the taxpayers of Toronto? It absolutely doesn't," she told reporters.
When asked if funding for city events like Toronto's Pride Parade , Batra said that Ford doesn't believe city taxpayers should be funding any parades.
http://thestar.blogs.com/thegoods/2010/08/ford-receives-endorsement-from-fundamentalist-pastor.html
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