Established as the news, lifestyle, and entertainment weekly in Vancouver for 50 years, the Georgia Straight is an integral part of the active urban West Coast lifestyle with over 1.081 million readers per week. Toronto’s famous Pride parade was interrupted by members of the Black Lives Matter group, which halted the march for about 30 minutes. Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun/Postmedia Network, Spectators get sprayed with water at Toronto's Pride parade held in downtown Toronto, Ont. People have told me I’m no longer part of the queer community because my Blackness has no place there. It wouldn’t have mattered to them that former Stephen Harper cabinet minister Lisa Raitt — who was squeezed into a small section of Bloor St. while waiting to march along with all of the 120 members of the LGBTory group — fainted in the heat. Please try again, 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4. I was with my friends, who were Black like me, and we had come to have a good time. Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun/Postmedia Network, Spectators at Toronto's Pride parade held in downtown Toronto, Ont. Other politicians have joined him this year too, including Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and Toronto Mayor John Tory. on Sunday July 3, 2016. A town hall organized in conjunction with groups from marginalized communities, including but not limited to Black Lives Matter – Toronto, Blackness Yes and Black Queer Youth, in six months, where Pride Toronto will present an update and action plan on BLM-TO’s demands. My loves❤️❤️❤️❤️ https://t.co/TK3uqSKdI8pic.twitter.com/TFWkbltCWR. on Sunday July 3, 2016. The group, which received Honored Group status at the parade, stopped their float during Sunday’s march for around 30 minutes, not allowing others to proceed until their demands were met. Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun/Postmedia Network, Spectators Rhea Ziflorio (left) and Keila Marques enjoy Toronto's Pride parade held in downtown Toronto, Ont. Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun/Postmedia Network, A man waves while carrying a rainbow flag at Toronto's Pride parade held in downtown Toronto, Ont. on Sunday July 3, 2016. The Toronto Police Service recently issued a formal statement saying it “regretted” the 1981 bathhouse raids, but has made no statement on the Pussy Palace raid in 2000 or the attacks on entire trans and sex-working communities through TAVIS as recently as last year. All rights reserved. Any such claim is absurd. My 10th time at Toronto Pride Parade. I was newly out as queer, and eager to experience entire city blocks full of people like me. Unauthorized distribution, transmission or republication strictly prohibited. Since the action, I have received hate mail and death threats, primarily from gay-identifying men. As the first Dyke March 20 years ago did, we are calling upon Pride to change and grow to reflect the communities it represents. We paused for a moment of silence for the lives lost in Orlando in all three marches. Some mainstream media have provided a platform for racist assertions and chosen to focus more on our demand that police not participate in future Pride parades than on the reality of anti-Black racism. But opposition NDP leader Andrea Horwath says the Ford government's plan amounts to "waving a white flag" on the COVID. The police would have pulled us away in two minutes. The situation was resolved as Pride Toronto agreed and signed the list of demands, which allowed the parade to resume. “Canada is united in its defense of rights and in standing up for LGBTQ rights; this is what we are truly celebrating today,” Trudeau said on June 1 when he kicked off Prime Month in Parliament Hill. This was not the first time a police officer had been hostile to me. We were withered and a good portion of the crowd had dispersed. Full and adequate funding for community stages, including logistical, technical and personnel support. so I saw Justin Trudeau today and that was pretty Hella ✌ #TorontoPridepic.twitter.com/Yju5ZKhcQV. We didn’t halt progress we made progress.". By Tim McCaskell. We paused for a moment of silence for the lives lost in Orlando in all three marches. Black Lives Matter failed to show respect at Pride parade, Toronto's Pride parade held in downtown Toronto, Ont. on Sunday July 3, 2016. Janaya Khan is a co-founder of Black Lives Matter – Toronto. Waiting for #TorontoPride2016 to get underway! They are fostering a narrative wherein calling for an end to police floats in Pride is considered “discriminatory,” completely overlooking the reality of privilege and power granted to police. #GPC#cdnpolipic.twitter.com/rQCV9qpsE0. We are not all on a level playing field fighting for the same equality. They made the news! Black Lives Matter Toronto addressed the issue of anti-Blackness within Pride Toronto. This publication features lifestyle stories around cannabis use and experiences, including emerging trends in wellness, travel, food and drink, pop culture, and cannabis-related brands. on Sunday July 3, 2016. From the 1950s to the 90s, LGBTQ2SIAA people in Canada were surveilled, violated and brutalized by police forces, resulting in raids and incarceration. I have been called a “nigger” more times than I care to count. This website uses cookies. Can you imagine what the left-wing media would have done if our entire group sat down in the middle of Yonge and Bloor Sts. on Sunday July 3, 2016. Black Lives Matter Toronto stopped the pride parade today and got these demands met pic.twitter.com/FYVZFeur6Y, In its news release, the Black Lives Matter said Pride Toronto “has shown little honor to black queer/trans communities, and other marginalized communities. Subscribe to RT newsletter to get stories the mainstream media won’t tell you. They allowed QuAIA to hijack the parade for five years in the name of “free speech” — although we should be grateful for small mercies QuAIA never blocked an intersection and stopped the parade. Norm Kelly and Coun. The majority of the leadership within Black Lives Matter – Toronto and Black Lives Matter internationally identify as queer or trans. Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun/Postmedia Network, Green Party leader Elizabeth May at Toronto's Pride parade held in downtown Toronto, Ont. on Sunday July 3, 2016. The LGBTQ2SIAA community knows that labels do not devalue us, they help define us. A welcome email is on its way. The Pride parade made history this year after Justin Trudeau joined in. on Sunday July 3, 2016. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. People who are not under the LGBT2QSIAA umbrella have used our action as an excuse to attack us with racist vitriol. on Sunday July 3, 2016. "Our action was in the tradition of resistance that is Pride. But to hold a parade hostage while they demanded that there be no more Toronto police providing security at the event, no more police floats in the parade or that Pride hires more of their members, struck me as downright self-serving. #blacklivesmatterpic.twitter.com/z18pcoJhf0. “If they truly want to honor us, they can accept these demands.”, Awesome. I looked around, saw the tents with big bank and corporate logos, the groups of largely white people, and shrugged. Twenty years ago there was push-back and negative attention for women asserting their right to celebrate themselves in their entirety. Doubling of funding for Blockorama to $13,000. Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun/Postmedia Network, Toronto Mayor John Tory (middle) with Coun. I can only imagine what group will block the parade next year with its own ultimatums. Removal of police floats in the Pride marches and parades. Black Lives Matter and Toronto Pride are not playing nice at the moment... this must be very confusing for this guy. Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun/Postmedia Network, Rev. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. (Mark Blinch/The Canadian Press via AP) more > They made the news! Black Lives Matter at Toronto's Pride parade held in downtown Toronto, Ont. Justin Trudeau made history and became the first sitting Prime Minister to march in Toronto's Pride Parade. ECentralSports targets the emerging premium on Sunday July 3, 2016. Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun/Postmedia Network, tap here to see other videos from our team. on Sunday July 3, 2016. Black Lives Matter – Toronto led every major event in Pride, from the Dyke March to the Trans March. on Sunday July 3, 2016. Trudeau became the first sitting Prime Minister to ever march in the event. Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun/Postmedia Network, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and Toronto Mayor John Tory at Toronto's Pride parade held in downtown Toronto, Ont. These demands challenged the erasure of Black infrastructure and called for the removal of police floats from the Pride parade and community fair, among other things. They embarrassed themselves on national TV, they made a mockery of the Pride organization and showed, yet again, that Pride has lost its way. Brent Hawkes at Toronto's Pride parade held in downtown Toronto, Ont. Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun/Postmedia Network, A toddler tried to get comfortable while being carried at Toronto's Pride parade held in downtown Toronto, Ont. Some people who attended the march carried signs for the victims. with a list of demands? I can guarantee the politically-correct Pride organizers would not have been tripping over themselves to negotiate with us, or to even give us the time of day. Required fields are marked *. We brought the Pride parade to a full stop with a list of demands (see below) reflecting the needs of some of Toronto’s most marginalized LGBTQ2SIAA community members. In its news release, the Black Lives Matter said Pride Toronto “has shown little honor to black queer/trans communities, and other marginalized communities. Here I thought the Pride parade was about celebrating gay rights and gay pride — the rights of all gay people. pic.twitter.com/IHH678F8PI, “When we accepted this year's Honored Group status from Pride Toronto, it was with the clear intention of using this platform to address what is a historical and current culture of anti-Blackness deeply embedded in the Festival,” said Alexandria Williams, co-founder of Black Lives Matter Toronto. Part of that work is creating more inclusivity in spaces like Pride. It did not in 1969 and it does not today. We attempted to ignore the incident, to continue to celebrate, but it hung like a shadow over us, so we left. Orlando continues to devastate me and remind me that I have a responsibility to disrupt a system that continues to brutalize the LGBTQ2SIAA communities that look like me. Will it be another 20 years before Toronto realizes Black lives matter at Pride? Now Pride’s organizers are allowing themselves to be bullied by BLM, whose members were tripping over themselves to say they won Sunday. Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun/Postmedia Network, Hamilton police officer at Toronto's Pride parade held in downtown Toronto, Ont. on Sunday July 3, 2016. Over the years, Pride has threatened the existence of black spaces at Pride that have existed for years.” Ethan Eisenberg. Jul 12, 2016. One of them wanted to know who we were and where we were going. © 2020 Toronto Sun, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. All rights reserved.

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