Tim McCaskell, one of the founders of AIDS Action Now, says Watt's work for the Harris government did massive damage to queer communities across Ontario.

"He was one of the architects of the Harris common-sense revolution," he says. "There was tremendous damage to infrastructure that most gays depend on. There were cuts to schools that set back anti-homophobia education by years. They closed hospitals that people with AIDS use. Jaime was on board for all that.

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"Egale can give its fucking award to anyone they choose," [Peter Bochove] says, "but I'll be absolutely damned if I would give it to someone like Jaime Watt, no matter what they did to further the right to same-sex marriage. If that's the criteria, give it to Brent Hawkes. He was named to the Order of Canada, he's not good enough for Egale? I can think offhand of more than 100 people better qualified than Watt."