City Summer: Toronto Pride turns 31

What started as a grass-roots march protesting the infamous police bathhouse raids of 1981 and demanding gay and lesbian rights has blossomed into a massive, corporate sponsored 10-day celebration that attracts more than a million people.

This year, however, a large proportion of the buzz surrounding the city’s 31st annual Pride celebration centres around someone who doesn’t plan to take part in the festivities.

Mayor Rob Ford’s expected absence has so far dominated recent discussions about this year’s Pride. Ford has insisted his family tradition of spending the Canada Day weekend at the cottage will take precedence on Sunday — but the mayor has also avoided other Pride events, including the official flag-raising at City Hall.

For years, police officers, Toronto mayors, other politicians and political hopefuls have made it a point to march through the gay village in the marquee event — the Pride parade.  

“It’s very important for a city that has aspirations to be a world-class city to show that the politicians are firmly in support of their citizenry,” Pride co-Chair Francisco Alvarez said at City Hall Monday.

“Since Toronto does present itself as to the world as a very progressive city, very creative, liveable city, very diverse, then we think the mayor’s participation in Pride would be a very important signal in convincing people that that’s actually true.”

Indeed, the world’s eyes will be focusing on our Pride festivities this year ahead of Toronto hosting World Pride in 2014. Host cities are chosen by the international group InterPride.

While organizers are disappointed Ford won’t be attending, the invitation remains open.

It’s been a controversial year for Pride Toronto. Aside from the mayor’s snub, the organization also risked losing funding from the city if the group Queers Against Israeli Apartheid participated in the parade.

The activist group won’t march in this year’s event.

“Like any organization it’s gone through growing pains,” Alvarez said, noting some people don’t agree with the direction the event has taken, especially when it comes to increasing corporate sponsorships.

“It’s sort of a constantly evolving push-and-pull type of situation but we continue to move forward every year and we celebrate the new gains that we’ve made.”

The theme of this year’s Pride is Dream Big and entertainment will focus on local talent.

“We’re focusing a lot more on local entertainers, so we’ll give an opportunity to them and to people from different ethnic backgrounds and languages to have the prominence at Pride,” Alvarez said.

“Because we’re straddling the holiday weekend, both Canada Day and the 4th of July, we’re hoping to welcome a lot of out-of-town visitors this year.”

The party kicks into high gear on Canada Day. Here’s a look at what you can expect:

Friday, July 1:

Trans March

The march heads down Church Street at 8 p.m., starting at Hayden. This march started in 2009.

Pride Street Fair

6 p.m. to 12 a.m. on Church Street

Saturday, July 2:

Pride Street Fair

11 a.m. to 12 a.m.

Dyke March

2 p.m.

Route: starts at Church and Hayden Streets, moves north on Church to Bloor, west on Bloor to Yonge and then south on Yonge to Wood St. It will head east along Wood back to Church Street.

Sunday, July 3:

Pride Street Fair

11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Pride Parade

2 p.m.

Route: Starts at Church and Bloor, west on Bloor to Yonge Street, south on Yonge Street to Gerrard Street East, east on Gerrard Street East to Church Street.

Click here for more information on Pride 2011, and click here for more information on related road closures.

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