Primed for Pride

Toronto Pride folks have been working overtime to ensure that this year’s festivities – taking place from Mon, Jun 24 to Sun, Jun 30 – go off without a hitch.

This year’s theme is Uncensored, for a number of reasons.

“It’s a reflection on a lot of different elements – censorship in the media and ordeals that Little Sister’s bookshop and Glad Day face with Canada Customs seizures,” says media co-chair Jeff Russell. “It also has to do with censorship that we place on ourselves, whether it’s in the workplace, with our families, that sort of thing, where we don’t fully live our lives as we should or might want to.”

Over the weekend, there will be approximately 120 live performers on seven stages between Carlton and Isabella on Church St. The street shuts down to traffic Friday night.

The Dyke March, which takes place on Sat, Jun 29 at 2pm.

The Sun, Jun 30 parade route is the same as last year, starting at 2pm at Church and Bloor, and heading across Bloor, down Yonge to Dundas and back to Church. Russell says the parade should take about two-and-a-half hours to pass, but organizers won’t know how many entrants they have until Wed, Jun 12, which is the deadline for groups to apply to be in the parade.

“We expect about 150 marching groups and floats, the same as last year,” says Russell. Groups that are looking to sign up can get a parade application kit from the pride Toronto office at 65 Wellesley St E, suite 501, or they can download one from Pridetoronto.com.

The always popular marketplace is a venue for queers to sell their wares – or at least for those wanting to sell their wares to queers. The deadline for getting a booth is Fri, Jun 21. There are different kinds of booths, ranging from artisan booths, which rent for $374.50 to national chain booths, which rent for more than $1,000.

There’s still room for community groups to have a place in the street fair along Wellesley between Church and Yonge. Groups applying before Sun, Jun 1 can nab a spot for $214; after then, it’s $321. Only groups that are non-profit or registered as federal charities are eligible for this rate.

Forms, more information and volunteer opportunities can be found at www.pridetoronto.com or at their storefront location at 469 Church St, underneath Woody’s.