Toronto Pride - 1st Thoughts
26 June 2007 - 11 תמוז 5767 by Huw
Torontonian Hospitality:
I owe a deep annd hearty “thank you” to Greg, Jon and, most especially, David, for their hospitality this weekend. David hosted Brodie and me all weekend - including a fabu swimming pool many floors above the “gaybourhood”; Jon provided afternoon crash space twice, along with some tasty BBQ pork; and Greg’s house, half a block away from the parade route, was ground zero on Sunday.
Ashevillian Hospitality:
My local Enterprise played shuffle with some dates and rates and managed to save me $40 on the rental. Let me say it again: I love Enterprise.
OK: on with the ramble.
Reconnected with: Matt, Doug, Jess, Jer and Paul, Dell and Paul, I met far too many people to ever remember… although we can have a go: Greg, Alan, Kevin, Bill, Daniel, Sean, Shawn, Mark, Dave, Bebe, Jim, um… I ate BBQ and too much Pizza and too many no-carb snacks and drank not-enough beer and had some cinnamon whisky (YUM!) and some Soho Lychee Liqueur (WOW!). It was a fun, party-filled weekend.
Brodie told me I’d have fun - and he was right. He tried to tell me how intense Toronto’s party was and I admit that in my jaded way I ignored that. I mean, hey: I’ve lived in SF and NYC. I’ve been a marshal for NYC’s parade since forever. I marched for nearly 13 years. I was not prepared: unions march, churches march, teachers march… Although they had no trouble in SF, I’m used to NYC where teachers get fired for marching. Toronto’s entire school board was in the parade. Although my own union marched in SF - and in Toronto - I was not prepared for the Auto Workers’ Union or Train workers’ union, or the Steel Workers’ Union!
C.A.W. Pride Flag
In NYC I’m used to seeing the Gay Officers’ Action League (GOAL) march… Edgar, a friend-of-a-friend was the president. But I’m also used to seeing all the cops along the parade route turn their backs as GOAL marches by. And some people boo. No on on either side forgets that the Stonewall Riots were against police brutality. Toronto: they were out recruiting for all forces - including the Mounties. They marched with vehicles, in uniform. Fire department, EMTs… all the uniforms were represented except the military. I don’t know what Canada’s policies are in that respect.
During the “ethnic” portion of the march, when all the different ethnic groups that make up Canada - including the Natives - were well represented by beautifully designed floats, I found myself wondering what the USA is missing. It’s been a while since I played politics, but I seem to remember we had a don’t-ask-don’t-tell policy on immigration where, if you were discovered to be gay or, heaven forfend! HIV+, you were sent back. How much creativity and economic drive are we missing out on because those folks all get to go to Canada?
Media attention is, of course, everything. NYC’s media - and SF’s as well - were prone to reminding folks to stay away. The official CBC? “This is Toronto’s best festival, everyone should go.”
I was also impressed at the diversity of the crowd in attendance: there were straight and gays marching - and watching. Families of all pairings and sizes were present. This is true in NYC, but the impression is probably a function of size as there are whole stretches of 5th Ave where there is no one watching. I noticed an absence of protesters - but that could just be that I was in the wrong place. But all weekend long nary one anti-gay pamphlet was handed to me nor was one pro-hate placard witnessed.
And, of course, Canada’s marriage paperwork now reads “Applicant” and “Joint-Applicant”.
I’m telling all of this to my friend, Susan, in SF, and she says, “Jeeze. We’re used to thinking of Canada as ‘America Lite’…” Yes, I replied, but it’s a stunning thing to wake up and realise you’ve been living all this time in the universe where Spock has a goatee and Kirk is wearing just a little too much eye makeup. Some thing’s Canada does right.
Geek note: it’s Spock with the beard. Evil Kirk just glowers though a little extra eyeshadow.
Eep. I feel so de-geeked.
I shall make corrections.