Organizers have pulled the plug on the #LoveWins concert scheduled to take place in Toronto later this month.
The March 29th concert in front of City Hall was to feature three members of Barenaked Ladies as well as artists like Carole Pope, Thelma Houston, and The Launch winners Elijah Woods x Jamie Fine and Poesy. Elton John, Céline Dion and Cyndi Lauper were among the stars who recorded videotaped messages for the event.
Billed as “part vigil, part celebration,” the show was intended to bring people together in the wake of news of the arrest of an alleged serial killer whose victims were gay men.
Some in the LGBT community called the #LoveWins concert “insensitive” and “tone deaf.”
On Saturday afternoon, chair Salah Bachir said in a statement: "We will postpone the event and work with all community members to ensure that any future endeavour will address the concerns raised thus far.
“We welcome continued dialogue and honour the broad spectrum of opinions in the community.”
Bachir said the intention was to bring the city together “in love and healing.” He said it was unfortunate that the event created “an unintentional division at a historic time.”