The annual Toronto Pride Parade was held Sunday afternoon.
pride
Healing the gay-Jewish divide in Canada
To read Elle Flanders' story Pride Toronto reverses its decision to ban QAIA, published simultaneously, please click here.
Queers Against Israeli Apartheid wins battle against censorship
Pride Toronto backs down on decision to censor group at 2010 Pride Parade
For Immediate Release - June 23, 2010
TORONTO - Queers Against Israeli Apartheid congratulates Toronto's LGBT community for successfully reversing censorship at the 2010 Pride Parade. Pride Toronto announced today that it would not censor the term ‘Israeli apartheid' from the parade.
"This is a victory for the Palestine solidarity movement, which has faced censorship and bullying tactics from the Israel lobby for far too long," says Tim McCaskell, a member of Queers Against Israeli Apartheid. "The Israel lobby learned a tough lesson today about our community's proud history of standing up to censorship and human rights abuses."
The radical roots of Pride
Marxism 2010: As Pride Toronto bans the term "Israeli Apartheid" from this year's march, Christine Beckermann looks back on the radical roots of the gay liberation movement, and how the rights we have today didn't come without a fight -- or without radical politics.
This summer will mark the 30th anniversary of the Pride Day celebrations in Toronto. For young people who may be heading out to their first Pride, it would be easy to think that the history of the struggle for LGBT rights has been an onward and upward advance of rational ideas over bigotry and hatred; that through reasoned argument, society and the state have come to accept the case for equal rights.
Extreme boycott: Don't get caught in a bad hotel
A flashmob infiltrates the Westin St. Francis hotel in San Francisco and performs an adaptation of Lady Gaga's song 'Bad Romance.' Why? Because of a boycott....
Related rabble.ca story:
Gender identity activism in schools
Beyond the Binary is handbook that helps guide community members, activists and youth to creating a more fluid perception of gender identity within schools. The primer begins with definitions, statistics, myth busting and basic information but also covers practical issues for activists. It includes sections about how to define a realistic timeline, as well as goals, of a campaign and get it off the ground. It even has a special section about how to organize a trans day of remembrance.
Ottawa Pride showcases community building in The Village
Capital Pride wrapped up a "very successful" 2011 edition last week with its parade through Ottawa's downtown core, drawing an estimated 55,000 to 60,000 people, according to its chair Doug Saunders.
Capital Pride maybe the preeminent event for the city's GLBTTQ community, but it's also gradually becoming one of Ottawa's largest and most popular festivals. This year's version featured over 55 events, 100 volunteers and saw an increase of 200-300 per cent in advertising sales over the previous year.
Last week, city Councillor Diane Holmes hung up street signs branded "The Village" in a downtown intersection as part of a poll of local residents and businesses about designating a collection of streets in the city's Centretown region "a gay-friendly village."
2011 Toronto Veggie Pride Parade
On Saturday, June 5, Toronto held its second annual Toronto Veggie Pride Parade (TVPP). Hundreds of animal rights activists waited until the rain and thunderstorm subsided before merrily marching and dancing down Yonge Street at Bloor, west on Queen, and to the Church of the Holy Trinity by the Eaton Centre, where there was a post parade lunch and other events.
When -- at the end of the parade -- lettuce lady, animal mascots, and parade participants danced to "Celebration," Kimberly Carroll, the MC of the 2011 Toronto Veggie Pride Parade exclaimed, "We almost had a rained out parade, but we salvaged it at the last minute. This is a reason to celebrate."
