Hillary Clinton delivers a video message for Pride Month. You go girl.
June 12, 2012
May 17, 2012
May 3, 2012
Toronto International Pride Cup - Toronto’s LGBTQ Friendly Soccer Tournament
2012 marks the 6th year since it’s inception for the Toronto International Pride Cup, or TIPC.
While the tournament has been in a couple of different venues over the past few years it seems to have found a home at L’Amoreaux Field in Scarborough where the 2011 tournament was held and where it will be held again during the August 10-12 weekend this year.
The tournament has received teams from Chicago, Philadelphia, New York, Montreal, Washington, Boston, and Waterloo.
The tournament has two streams, mixed or open (which are open to people of any gender identity) and womens (open to those who are female identified).
The matches take place over 2 days, which a registration event on the Friday evening (which will be held at Slacks) in the heart of Toronto’s Gay Village (Church-Wellesley Village, or Gaybourhood).
This year the tournament is experimenting with the format: Whereas in the past squads were comprised of the traditional 11 or more players this year each squad will have 7 members (with the option of including and ‘alternate’). For each game 2 squads will be paired to play against 2 other squads for a full 11v11 match. Stats for each game will count toward the round-robin standings of both squads. Squads with an 8th alternate may only play 7 of their players in any one game, but the alternate may switch in throughout the weekend. Additionally a team cannot have more than 6 players from their squad on the field during play.
For those with spouses, partners, family, friends, or FWBs that may not be soccer fans other highlights in Toronto that weekend include the Toronto Beer Festival and the ever popular Taste of the Danforth.
Other events during TIPC include the banquet held on the Saturday evening, all signs point it being held at the 519 community centre in the heart of the gay village and will be catered by Fabarnak recently named one of the top five restaurants to go in to Toronto for locally sourced food by Now Magazine (http://www.nowtoronto.com/food/story.cfm?content=186034).
Registration can be done through the TIPC website - http://www.tipc.org/.
You can also let people know you plan to go through the TIPC 2012 facebook event page and follow them on facebook or twitter (@TIPCtweet).
May 2, 2012
Yumyos For Pride
With many Pride celebrations becoming more family friendly (and with us Queer folk loving all that is vibrant, fun, kitsch, and cute) a friend, Leah Moses, has released a line of collectible stuffed toys with Pride ones coming out for the circuit.
Yumyos actually embody a number of aspects of the LGBTQ community as well. They come in all different shapes, sizes, colours, furriness, and backgrounds, and each one is unique having been individually crafted.
You can visit Yumyos facebook page here
Or to purchase one you can go here
August 4, 2011
BC Liberal Party notably absent at Vancouver Pride
This is actually quite surprising. Considering the battering that the Liberal Party has been taking both on Federal and Provincial levels (down 10 points in Ontario) you would think that the Liberals would be pandering to everyone they can, especially a popular event in the socially left leaning Vancouver.
June 24, 2011
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford Still Refusing to Attend Any Pride or Queer Communtiy Event
Mayor Rob Ford has missed every opportunity extended to him to attend any events relating to the Queer community.
To date he missed:
- October 18, 2010 chance to speak to the community during the election campaign at the 519 but backed out at the last minute.
- May 12th, 2011 he was absent for the Proud of Toronto invitations handed out by Drag Queens and others at City Hall, Ford’s staff claimed he was in a meeting.
- May 16th, 2011 he missed the Proud of Toronto event in the rotundra which was attended by several councillors.
- May 17, 2011 he was absent from the flag raising ceremony at City Hall to mark the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (this took place during council session’s lunch break, though clearly we know how he values meal time).
- He delayed signing a declaration for Toronto Pride and had to be pressured by councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam and the community.
- He will not be attending the Pride flag raising ceremony at City Hall on June 27th, 2011 - instead sending Frances Nunziata as his representative.
- When asked if he will be attending any pride events he has stated his family comes first, even though the event runs for 9 days and will only be at the cottage for the long weekend.
- He will not be attending or marching in the parade on Sunday July 3rd, 2011.
Then when people within the community call him homophobic we’re lambasted by his brother because “He has gay friends”. Well whoopty fucking doo. You know who else has gay friends? Stephen Harper - he’s buddy buddy with John Baird. Hell even Hilter’s right hand man was gay until Hitler saw him as a threat turned on him and every other gay person in Germany in 1936. Now I’m not saying that Rob Ford is like Hitler. But saying you have gay friends doesn’t mean you’re not homophobic it just means you either think these people are your friends but really they’re just nice to you to your face or that they are so self depricating they can allow themselves to be friends with someone who doesn’t think that we should have the same rights as everyone else (Ford was an outspoken opponent to same-sex marriage). If Ford believed that Jewish people shouldn’t be allowed to have their marriages legally recognized there would be no question that he is anti-semitic. So why then is it wrong to call him homophobic? The answer? Isn’t not. It’s just that the people defending him don’t have a proper understanding of what homophobia is nor do they have an understanding of what it feels like to be discriminated against due to their sexual orientation.
Rob Ford is homophobic - there are no ifs ands or buts about it. However Rob Ford is also the Mayor of Toronto and Toronto Pride is one of the city’s largest events that brings in over $100 million to the city and brings over 1 million people into the downtown core. Not showing up to this is just bad form all around. Were he simply a councillor yeah no problem. But Rob Ford knew what he was getting into when he ran for mayor. If he didn’t like it then he shouldn’t have run. While it’s not mandated it’s still seen as the mayor’s duty to show up to major city events.
While it doesn’t surprise me that Mr. Ford is not going to be attending any events what does surprise me is that a) some people are surprised and b) that some people are offended that people are calling him homophobic - because he his. Hell he won some votes because he is homophobic. The man has tried to revoke city funding for Pride for christsake.
Sigh - I’m just looking forward to a fun filled week of events now. Where we and really everyone can take pride in the achievements we have made and remember those who fought so hard to make those achievements possible.
June 24, 2011
Moving into Pride Week here in Toronto I think it’s important to remember how far we have come and who the people who fought for our rights and stood up for our community are. This is a great video surrounding the backdrop around which the Toronto bathhouse raid and subsequent riots helped to galvanize the gay liberation movement not only in Toronto but around Canada in a way reminicent of the Stonewall Riots 12 years earlier in the United States.
June 23, 2011
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford Turns His Back on Queer Community - Shuns Pride
In addition to trying to pull city funding for the event Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has now said he will be going to his cottage instead of attending Toronto’s largest money making 1 week event - one that brings in over $100 million to the city. This will be the first time in over 15 years that a mayor has not attended Toronto’s Pride Parade. They mayor will also be absent when the Pride flag is raised at city hall and is not expected to attend any of the other events during the week long festival.
Toronto’s Pride Parade attracts over 1 million people to the event, it is the largest Pride Parade in North America and believed to be the 3rd largest Pride Parade in the world.
April 29, 2011
Toronto International Pride Cup
This June, the 17th-19th to be precise, Toronto will be hosting the 5th Toronto International Pride Cup (or TIPC) soccer tournament.
TIPC has become one of North America’s largest Queer friendly soccer tournaments with roughly 200 participants. Previously the tournament has attracted teams from Chicago, New York City, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Boston, Montreal, and of course Toronto.
This year’s tournament will be played at L’Amoreaux Park in Toronto.
Current sponsors are 103.9 ProudFM (the Pride of Toronto) and Fab Magazine, with Bar/nightclub Crews & Tangos hosting the registration event.
If you would like to know more about TIPC, register, volunteer, or join us as one of our sponsors please visit http://www.tipc.org
April 20, 2011
Mayor Ford and Toronto Council Still May Deny Pride Toronto Funding
Even though Queers Against Israeli Apartheid (QuAIA) have said they will not be participating in the parade Toronto city council may still deny Pride Toronto funding.
The deferred vote is expected to come June 14th less than two weeks before Pride Toronto kicks off the week long event (and also Toronto biggest money making event bringing in over $100 million for the city) and likely not enough time for Pride to adjust the event to make up for a shortfall in funding. If pride falls into the red again this year it could lose it’s hosting of World Pride in 2014, which would be a major embarassment for the city, Pride Toronto, and organizers.
Last year Toronto’s Pride Parade drew an estimated 1,000,000 - 1,200,000 people out to watch and participate within the parade.
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