Tuesday, June 7, 2005
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
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.
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