Man wants Truro, N.S., mayor investigated over comments about gays in park

TRURO, N.S. A Truro businessman has filed a complaint with police after recent comments Mayor Bill Mills made to a local newspaper about gays using a local park for sex.
Darryl Moir of Moir's Costumes and Events in Truro says he wants police to investigate comments Mills made to the Truro Daily News about plans to prevent men from using the area to cruise for sex partners.
Moir says he wants police to look into whether a hate crime has been committed.
Truro Police Chief Dave MacNeil confirmed Monday that a complaint had been made but said he could not comment further.
Mills has not returned calls for comment.
"It's a favourite pickup spot for guys from all over the Maritime provinces," Mills told the local newspaper last week.
"They go up and have a rendezvous and then they go into the woods and do their thing. It's been known for years and years and is becoming more and more of a problem."
Moir said Monday in a telephone interview he agrees with the idea of erecting a gate.
"Look, consensual sex in the privacy of your own property is fine, but if I lived up by that park, I wouldn't want children or anyone going by and seeing anyone having sex," he said.
"I totally get the mayor's point, but he could have worded it differently."
Moir said the area has been used as a make-out spot for generations.
"Every community has them and it is used by heterosexual, gay, all kinds of people, and the mayor knows that, but he singles out gays."
Town councillors released a statement Friday night indicating they did not endorse the mayor's views.
This is not the first time Mills's comments about gay people have drawn fire. He refused to allow the gay pride flag to fly at town hall in 2007, suggesting it would conflict with his religious beliefs.
After a group laid a complaint with the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission, the mayor and council announced a few months later that they would take part in educational programs about sexual orientation and look at the town's affirmative action policy.
Meanwhile, Moir said he will continue his fight to have Mills resign or be dismissed.