Pride Toronto asks, “Should we wait?”

Pride Toronto (PT) wants queers to weigh in on whether to postpone the AGM until after its community consultations are completed.

In June, PT agreed to begin a community consultation process — with the help of Metropolitan Community Church pastor Brent Hawkes and others — in order to get a sense of queer and trans priorities for the festival. It was also designed to help heal the rift caused by PT’s decision to ban the group Queers Against Israeli Apartheid, a decision that threatened to derail festivities until it was retracted at the 11th hour.

Some have argued (including me) that the community consultations could represent a dodge on accountability at the AGM, with PT leaders directing concerns to the consultation committee, rather than dealing with them directly.

On Sept 10, Pride Toronto posted the following note on its Facebook page:

Having read the latest Xtra editorial, which
states: “Meanwhile, after hearing loud and clear that the AGM should be
postponed until the consultations are finished, PT turned a deaf ear,”
Pride Toronto would like to know if the community would prefer it to
postpone the AGM to a later date, after the results from the
consultations are received. Kindly respond via this forum or by
emailing office@pridetoronto.com.

Marcus McCann

Marcus McCann is an employment and human rights lawyer, member of Queers Crash the Beat, and a part owner of Glad Day Bookshop. Before becoming a lawyer, he was the managing editor of Xtra in Toronto and Ottawa.

Keep Reading

Collage with two hands holding a bat, swinging towards a baseball with a dollar sign on it, against a blue background with a net, baseball player and the Olivia logo on an outfield sign

Why the WPBL partnering with a lesbian travel company matters

Support from lesbian brands and bars harks back to the queer history of women’s sport leagues
Confluence cover

‘Confluence’ brings Vancouver’s queer history to life

The late Alex Turner and his husband, Lucian Childs, have written a unique and rewarding ode to mid-century gay British Columbia

Gaudy goddess: Self-described backwoods Barbie, Dolly Parton, chats about boobs, Broadway and battling hate

Revisiting Matt Thomas’s interview with the legend, originally published in fab Magazine in 2009

Dolly Parton was all of our chosen family

The superstar, who passed away at age 80, was always there for her queer fans. We collectively mourn her loss
Advertisement