Festivals and Parties

Festivals and Parties  » One of Toronto's Biggest Festivals: Pride Toronto

One of Toronto's Biggest Festivals: Pride Toronto

Just recently I had a chance to sit down with Natasha Garda,

Co-Chair, and Leon Mar, Media Coordinator of Pride Toronto.

Pride Week is the fun and fabulous arts and culture festival

that happens in the last week of June each year in Toronto.

Pride Week celebrates our diverse sexual and gender identities,

histories, cultures, families, friends and lives and has become

one of Toronto's biggest festivals and yearly entertainment

events.

1. Please tell us about the history of Pride Week as part of

Canada's Queer Community and about this year's theme

The roots of Pride Toronto date all the way back to 1969, when

drag queens and queer street kids rioted at the Stonewall Inn in

New York City. In the same year, the Canadian federal government

decriminalized homosexual acts for consenting adults over 21,

under then-Justice Minister Pierre Trudeau who uttered his

famous "the state has no place in the bedrooms of the nation"

statement. In 1971 Toronto's first "Gay Day Picnic" was held at

Hanlan's Point.

Throughout much of the 1970s and 1980s the gay community fought

for recognition and in some years was denied permission to march

on Yonge Street while the Mayor's Office refused to officially

recognize the event. In 1981 Metro Toronto Police raided various

bathhouses and caused extensive property damage as well as

public embarrassment and humiliation to the visitors of the

bathhouses. Things improved when, in 1987, sexual orientation

was included in the Ontario Human Rights Code. In 1991 80,000

people celebrated the Pride event. In 1992 the Supreme Court

ruled that under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the

Canadian Human Rights Act, gays and lesbians could not be

excluded from entering the Canadian Forces. Finally in 1999,

Toronto's then mayor Mel Lastman participated actively (with a

"Supersoaker" water gun) in the Pride parade, while corporate

sponsorship revenues were higher than ever and put Pride on firm

financial footing for the next year.

The theme for Pride Week 2005 is "Pride 25: 25 years and

counting". The event will be championed by Grand Marshal Salah

Bachir, a generous philanthropist, successful businessman and

visionary patron of the arts. As Chair of The 519 Capital

Campaign he has raised more than $5 million for the expansion

and renovation of The 519 Community Centre - $750,000 of which

was donated by himself. Salah Bachir is President of Famous

Players Media Inc., and Publisher of Famous magazines.

2. Pride Toronto has a lot of special events, please tell us

about all the events you have planned.

- On Monday, June 20, 2005, Pride Toronto kicks off with a flag

raising ceremony at City Hall. Citizens, politicians, friends

and community members hear the Mayor read the Pride Week

proclamation, raise the Rainblow Flag and enjoy food and

entertainment.

- On Tuesday, June 21, 2005, the Pride Awards Gala 2005 marks

the 25th annual Pride Week Festivities in Toronto. To salute

this special year in history, Pride Toronto is organizing a

wonderful gala dinner and awards show.

- The Pride Toronto Community Fair provides activists, community

and non-profit groups with a public forum to explain their role

in our community, educate about their mission, recruit

volunteers and garner support for their cause. The Community

Fair will take place 11:00 am on both Saturday June 25th and

Sunday June 26th 2005. The Pride Toronto Marketplace allows

vendors, artisans and businesses large and small a wonderful

space to exhibit and sell their wares, services, products and

marketing support to our community. Marketplace venues will be

available from 11:00 am to 8:00 pm on both Saturday June 25th

and Sunday June 26th 2005.

- Family Pride: This child-friendly, interactive space provides

an oasis for families of all kinds. Family Pride features

crafts, games, children's entertainment by Rainbow Songs and

face painting as well as on-site daycare on the Saturday and

Sunday of Pride Weekend.

- The Dyke March (Saturday June 25, 2005 - 2pm) is an event

within Pride Week (June 20th to the 26th) that provides a focus

on women. It is open to women loving women of any race, culture,

orientation, ability, health, economic group, family structure,

faith or age. The March is for women only; however, we encourage

men to support us from the sidelines.

- Pride Week culminates in the Pride Parade to be held on June

26, 2:00 pm. The Pride Parade is the climax of the Pride Week

celebrations. During the week we will celebrate our history and

our future with everyone who chooses to support us. The Pride

Parade is the community's opportunity to express freedom,

gratitude and pride for being able to live in harmony.

3. Pride Week 2005 offers a lot of entertainment for the whole

family. Please tell us about all the different entertainment

events you will be hosting.

Family Pride offers entertainment for children and the whole

family while adults can enjoy a whole range of entertainment

options. Music events include concerts with well-known

performers and DJs. There are 3 beer gardens that provide

refreshments while there is also a so-called Free Zone: an

alcohol and substance-free area. The Community Café presents

local community groups that perform live shows. In addition, a

theatre performance called "Cheap Queers" will be hosted in

Buddies in Bad Times Theatre and Pride Art Walk presents works

from a network of local artists.

4. In addition, you will host concerts by 6 major artists.

Please tell us about these free concerts.

Pride Week 2005 features up to seven stages of entertainment per

day over three days from Friday, June 24th - Sunday, June 26th

2005. We are proud and excited to confirm the presentation of

the six astounding, diverse and award-winning artists. The

current line-up features David Usher, Carol Pope + Rough Trade,

Simone Denny, DJ Dan, The Butchies and The Kinsey Sicks.

5. Please share with us some statistics of the event - how has

it grown?

From its first official event in 1981, Pride Toronto has grown

from a gathering of 1,500 people to a major entertainment event

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that draws an attendance of about 1 million people according to

media reports. Pride Week is a free event to attend because

Pride Toronto's staff, volunteers and supporters work hard to

raise the almost $1,000,000 annual budget needed to put on this

spectacular festival. There are up to 26 volunteer coordinators,

managing everything from Entertainment and Site Operations to

the Dyke March and the Pride Parade. Pride also has 5 full-time

staff members and Pride Week is run by more than 700 volunteers.

According to media estimates, Pride Week contributes about $80

million to the local economy.

6. How does Pride Toronto compare to other Inter Pride events?

Pride Toronto is a proud member of InterPride, the international

association of Pride Event organizers. InterPride exists to

promote Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride on an

international level, to increase networking and communication

among Pride Organizations, to encourage diverse communities to

hold and attend Pride Events, and to act as a source of

education.

Other high-profile Pride Parades are held in cities including

London - England, New York City, San Francisco, Sydney, and

Melbourne. Pride Toronto is among the top Pride Events

world-wide and distinguishes itself by the fact that it is still

completely free to attend.

7. Please tell us about the acceptance of the event and the

sponsors behind Pride Toronto.

In recent years, Pride Toronto has gained recognition and

appreciation as one of Toronto's most important festivals and

now draws a very diverse audience from difference countries,

different cultural and demographic backgrounds. Its mass appeal

to the general population is evidenced by the fact that major

sponsors have signed up to give Pride Toronto their support.

Today, Pride Toronto enjoys the generous support of companies

such as Labatt Blue, TD Canada Trust, Pizza Pizza, Air Canada,

Trojan, IKEA, Hewlett-Packard and many more.

8. Just recently Pride Toronto was named the best Canadian

festival - please tell us more about that.

I am very proud to report that in April of 2005, Pride Toronto

was awarded the Best Festival in Canada title at the 8th Annual

Canadian Event Industry Star Awards (CEIA), a national award

program that recognizes outstanding achievements in Canadian

special events, meeting management, conference planning and

exhibition management.

Thank you, Natasha and Leon, for your time and all the best for

next few hectic weeks in organizing this massive event.

About the author:

Susanne Pacher is the publisher of

http://www.travelandtransitions.com. It deals with travel to

foreign countries and is chock full of advice, tips, real life

travel experiences, interviews with travellers, insights,

cross-cultural issues, and many other features. Participate in

our travel story contest

http://www.travelandtransitions.com/contests.htm and win great

prizes, a fabulous cruise to the Amazon. Life is a Journey -

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