Toronto - Pride Week (Toronto) celebrates diverse sexual and gender identities, histories, cultures, family, friends, and lives.
Festivities are celebrated all over the world, including cities like New York, Vancouver, Sydney, San Francisco, Montreal, Amsterdam, Paris, Stockholm, London, Scotland, Madrid, and Budapest, just to name a few.
Here in Toronto it is one of the biggest summer events in Canada which generates tourism and pumps revenue into Toronto’s economy. It has an estimated attendance of over one million people. It is one of the major, if not “the” major summer events in this city. Friday June 20th will mark the beginning of the Pride festivities and it will end on Sunday June 29th with the big parade which will travel down Yonge Street, one of Toronto’s most famous streets. Pridetoronto.com has all the information you will need to know about this 10 day event. You can also download the “Pride Guide” which will give you a day by day breakdown of each day’s festivities and events.It is important to celebrate Pride to unite and support one (of many communities) that has historically been marginalized and denied the basic human rights that seem to be automatically awarded to other groups without second thought. Today Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin, a lesbian couple from San Francisco, can legally exchange wedding vows and legally be awarded the same rights as heterosexual couples. These rights include hospital rights, insurance rights, benefits, equality, recognition, and the privileges that a heterosexual couple would have, even if it is coming 55 years later. “Lyon and Martin have been a coupe for 55 years and fell in love at a time when lesbians risked being arrested, fired from their jobs and sent to electroshock treatment.” (Associated Press June 16, 2008) It is largely due to worldwide Pride events and celebrations that this issue and injustice has been brought to light, and finally some equality granted.
The most specific Pride event aims to bring the political to the forefront is the Dyke March which will be happening on Saturday June 28th at 2pm. The Dyke march historically has been a women’s/womyn’s led protest march which is more political than the Sunday parade. It tries to raise awareness for specific groups within the lesbian, bisexual, womyn, and trans community regardless of sexual orientation.
The Sunday Parade is also a lot of fun! Part corporate, part political, and part community, marching is a ton of fun! It is even better than sitting at the sidelines watching. Join a group, dress up in costume, makeup, or uniforms, and dance or walk down the parade route! There is no better way to see, and be a part of the festivities, than to march in the parade. Great way to socialize and make new friends and have fun!
There is a three day street festival with over eight stages of live entertainment, an extensive street fair including community booths, vendors, food stalls, and a special Family Pride program taking place at the Church Street Junior Public School (Church and Alexander). Spice Girl Mel C, Jully Black, Leisha Hailey’s band “Uh Huh Her”, and Thelma Houston (“Don’t leave me this way”) are some of the artists that will be featured on the Pride stages (all performances are free). There are events for youth such as the Fruit Loopz stage, and family events as well. Details are in the Pride guide which you can download on the site or which will be available this week on the streets of Toronto. There are bar events, club events, films, theatre performances, and comedy performances. Funny gal Sandra Bernhard will be performing at Massey Hall on Sunday June 22, 2008 at 8pm. For a complete breakdown go to www.pridetoronto.com and you can download a full Pride guide. Have fun, and, Happy Pride!
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