Toronto Mayor Rob Ford on Friday said that he did not approve of a rainbow flag hoisted at City Hall.

Toronto is among the City Halls across Canada that raised the rainbow flag to symbolize unity with LGBT Russians and opposition to Russia's anti-gay law as the Winter Olympics in Sochi got underway.

“It's not about someone's sexual preference,” Ford is quoted as saying by the AP. “I do not agree with putting up the rainbow flag. We should put our Canadian flag up.”

Ford said he wanted the flag removed. However, City spokeswoman Jackie DeSouza said the mayor does not have the authority to independently make that decision. The flag is expected to remain over the next two weeks.

The flap comes less than two days after Ford, who is running for re-election despite admitting to crack cocaine use, said that he would not attend this year's Gay Pride Parade.

“I'm not going to go to the Pride parade. I've never been to a Pride parade. I can't change who I am,” Ford said during a candidates' forum for October's mayoral election.

Doug Ford, a city councilor, insisted his brother is not homophobic. Doug said that he's attended the Pride parade but would not bring his kids because he doesn't “condone middle aged men running down the middle of the street buck naked.”