At the front of the Dyke March — after the police escort and Dykes on Bikes — about a dozen high school students formed an unassuming contingent.
At the centre of the group, a wiry figure sporting a pink-and-white Catholic Schools Need GSAs T-shirt was all smiles. Leanne Iskander was joined by fellow students from St Joe’s Catholic School; their fight to get a gay-straight alliance at their Mississauga high school is ongoing.
Earlier this year, Iskander was named the march’s honoured dyke.
Iskander was one of thousands of bi, lesbian and trans women who marched down Yonge St in a show of power and unity.
Last year, Take Back the Dyke, a protest against the increasingly corporate nature of Pride, held a protest march at the same time as the Pride Toronto-approved Dyke March.
This year, organizers of Take Back the Dyke planned Stonewall TO, an event to mark the anniversary of the New York riots. That event took place June 26.
Find photos from the march here:
In a surreal moment, one reveller caught Pride-bashing Toronto Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti videotaping the march. Xtra is investigating, but in the meantime see for yourself in this video posted to YouTube:
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