Gays, tattooed people, minorities don't 'fit in' in suburbs: developers

An organization representing Calgary developers is apologizing over an articleitposted online thatsuggestedgay couples,visibleminorities andpeople with tattoos might not feel comfortable living in the suburbs.

The article appeared Wednesday on a website run by theUrban Development Instituteand was taken down on Thursday.

The institute's chief executive, GuyHuntingford, said Wednesday thatCalgarianslive where they're comfortable, not where they feel different.

"People go to specific areas, not just because of the actual built form but also because they feel comfortable. So the intent of that letter was to say it doesn't matter who you are, what you look like, who you areyou feel comfortable where you live."

In a statement issued Thursday afternoon,Huntingfordapologized to anyone offended by the article.

"The article was intended to celebrate diversity rather than to offend. It was to encourage discussion about choices and why people choose a place to live based on a wide range of factors, one of which is because they feel comfortable there," he wrote.

"The article used examples in a goodwill effort to illustrate how some Calgarians might view themselves within the context of their neighbourhoods."

Early Friday the Calgary region of theCanadian Home Builders' Association issued a statement calling the article "offensive."

"We do not condone the statements made in the article and, in fact,CHBA- Calgary Region advocates strongly for choice in all communities which means diversity in all forms," reads the letter.

"That diversity of people, as well as housing choices to accommodate everyone, makes a healthy community."

Mayor calls article 'bizarre'

Several members of city council have criticized the letter.Mayor Naheed Nenshicalled it"very, verybizarre."

He added: "So what they're suggesting is we should have homelands within the city for different people and certain kinds of people should stick with their own.If that's really what they're suggesting, Idon't have much time for that argument."

Nenshi wants to know if the institute's members agree with the article.

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