I'll be at the Gay Pride Parade 2010!

[M.Dancer]

Ironically, Hitler was a vehement non smoker...

[GostHacked]

Michael Hardner, I can only guess that you don't have children because if you did I find it hard to believe that you'd allow them to view gay pornography or images of naked men and women. Of coarse you wouldn't, no sane parent would, it's no different at the parade and I intend to prove it. If it's still there it wil be documented on video and made public.

Full frontal nudity is inappropriate viewing for children. Children have been taken away from parents for things like this happening in their own home. It's no different out in public. Subjecting chiuldren to full frontal nudity and adult public sex is child abuse and shouldn't be tolerated.

I'll be sure to record any parents who are allowing thier children to view these live sex acts so they can have their identities made public. People have a right to know if their childrens teachers or scout masters are subjecting their own children to live sex acts. One can only imagine how they behave with children that are not their own...it's frieghtening.

Actually you should just stay out of other peoples business. Your first intention is to get gay sex caught on tape. Sounds like viral marketing to me. But now you want to tape other parents with their kids at the parade. Maybe you should ask those parents consent before you violate their privacy rights.

If you look at Caribana or other events of this nature, you do see kids dressed up in the fancy and revealing costumes and having fun with the rest of the crowd in the parade, is this child abuse too? Not just watching but participating in it? And don't tell me kids are not involved in many of these other parades.

But should government fund all this? If the answer is no, then all parades should lose funding. Make it even across the board.

I wonder what ever happened to live and let live. More often than not, when people do things like Mr. Canada wants to here, it could get him into some trouble. Put that camera in my face, and it might become part of yours .

I am like most others here. I would go to check it out myself, but I am not sure I would bring my kids (if I had any) I don't mind the gay culture and have had good respectful experiences every time. It would depend on the age of my kids and if they had the capacity to understand what the event is all about.

I suggest keeping the camera at home Mr. Canada, maybe take the stick out of your bum and live life a little. Too much effort is being wasted on keeping penis' and boobs away from the view of the kids. We can let them watch murders in the streets and so much violence on TV and we are ok with it. But show a little boob and WONT SOMEONE THINK OF THE CHILDREN.

What is more damaging to a kid anyways? Gay sex or violence?

[M.Dancer]

I watched the Santa Claus parade last year from the 3rd floor of the Hyatt on Bloor.

The parade was filled with fairies and other clowns...

[Wilber]

I watched the Santa Claus parade last year from the 3rd floor of the Hyatt on Bloor.

The parade was filled with fairies and other clowns...

And it receives no public funding if I understand correctly.

[M.Dancer]

And it receives no public funding if I understand correctly.

Correct.

http://www.thesantaclausparade.ca/faq

My boss paid a few thousand to be a clown....

[Sir Bandelot]

Correct.

http://www.thesantaclausparade.ca/faq

My boss paid a few thousand to be a clown....

And you were the fairy, for free...

[Sir Bandelot]

Correct.

http://www.thesantaclausparade.ca/faq

My boss paid a few thousand to be a clown....

And you were the fairy, for free...

[M.Dancer]

And you were the fairy, for free...

I'm pretty confident in a battle of wits between you and a bag of hammers, the bag would be the odds on favourite.

[Michael Hardner]

Well, I'm certainly not in favor of promoting festivals that would be illegal. I'm not aware of anything inherently illegal about a festival for homosexuals.

Now, if some people who attended that festival were engaged in illegal activities, it seems to me that would be an issue for local law enforcement officials to take care of. And if illegal activities at an event were so widespread as to be disruptive to the community, then maybe the event shouldn't be held anymore. This happened to our local "extreme sports" festival... drunk teenagers fighting and vomiting on every horizontal surface in town resulted in the city council deciding the event was no longer benefitical to the community and declining to issue permits to the organizers. Maybe people can make the same argument in regard to Toronto Pride, perhaps with the help of Mr C's new video documentary. I have a hunch that it's going to be a tough sell, however.

-k

Another example: the cops apparently looked the other way at the drinking at the olympic celebration two Sundays past.

They will look the other way in the spirit of the thing, I'm sure.

[Michael Hardner]

Pride week, (which is actually a 10 day affair) attracts over 100,000 visitors who are not GTA residents....how many gay and lesbians actaully live in the GTA is another story...never the less over 300,000 Torontonians attend the event.

The attendance estimates vary but it is safe to say that along the parade route, which is not very large over 700,000 people converge.

I have been to the parade twice. The first time was when I was knew to Toronto and the only two people I knew were two lesbians I grew up with in Montreal. That was in 1984. The second time was accidental. My girlfriend and I had been doing a round the city cycle and were on our way back and when ran into it along the church wellesley corridor.

Never saw any sex...lots of boobs....most of them on bona fide women.

But are were you allied with those allied boobs ?

[M.Dancer]

But are were you allied with those allied boobs ?

Yes but not the displayed boobs...i was allied to green with envy woman wearing the under lycra top boobs wearing the no nonsense sports bra ...and green with envy as in "my goodness that man has bigger and better tits than me" envy.

We broke up. I can't abide sports bras

Edited March 10, 2010 by M.Dancer

[kimmy]

I concede that I introduced the topic of drug tourism, but it was in comparison with what kimmy said, to show that the problem in my view is not funding parades where there is good money to be made by the city, but where said events condone illegal activities.

I'm still confused as to how a gay pride festival is condoning illegal activity. I believe sodomy laws have been stricken from the books in most jurisdictions, yes?

Arguing that pride festivals condone illegal activity because some attendees brandish their dongs in public is like arguing that Caribana condones illegal activity because some attendees pass the dutchie on the left hand side, or that the extreme sports festival condones illegal activity because some attendees get drunk and puke all over everything.

-k

[blueblood]

I'm still confused as to how a gay pride festival is condoning illegal activity. I believe sodomy laws have been stricken from the books in most jurisdictions, yes?

Arguing that pride festivals condone illegal activity because some attendees brandish their dongs in public is like arguing that Caribana condones illegal activity because some attendees pass the dutchie on the left hand side, or that the extreme sports festival condones illegal activity because some attendees get drunk and puke all over everything.

-k

I think he's worried about the sex in public and a possible greater incentive for rape.

[M.Dancer]

I think he's worried about the sex in public and a possible greater incentive for rape.

gay men and gay women raping?

I suppose it happens....nore often consensually though...

[blueblood]

gay men and gay women raping?

Possibly, I don't know if there is a correlation b/w booze, possible drug use, scantily clad people, and hormones flying all over the place. It seems like the ingredients for unfortunate events like that to go down.

I suppose it happens....nore often consensually though...

I agree, and I think sex in public is a no no in the eyes of the law.

In all fairness though the same thing happens in bars all over the country, but last time I checked I don't think bars are publically funded.

[Guest American Woman]

I agree, and I think sex in public is a no no in the eyes of the law.

So is nudity, yet here's a pic where "a police officer smiles as a naked man rides past on a scooter, while celebrating the march down Yonge Street during the annual Pride Parade in Toronto on Sunday, June 28, 2009."

In all fairness though the same thing happens in bars all over the country, but last time I checked I don't think bars are publically funded.

I don't think bars are promoted as a family affair, either.

Thus my question regarding if people are ok with the government funding this parade while it is apparently promoted as a family affair. Seems to me this is a case of tolerance-gone-overboard.

Edited March 10, 2010 by American Woman

[M.Dancer]

So is nudity, yet here's a pic where "a police officer smiles as a naked man rides past on a scooter, while celebrating the march down Yonge Street during the annual Pride Parade in Toronto on Sunday, June 28, 2009."

Not quite. Sexualized nudity may bring the law on you..non sexual may not.

Thus my question regarding if people are ok with the government funding this parade while it is apparently promoted as a family affair. Seems to me this is a case of tolerance-gone-overboard.

There are some misconceptions in this...the parade is not funded..Pride Week receives funding...the Parade is not promoted as a family affair, (although families are welcome) certain Pride events are promoted as family oriented events.

In truth though, the Parade is PG 13...

[Sir Bandelot]

Not quite. Sexualized nudity may bring the law on you..non sexual may not.

Mauritzio,

Why don't you test your theory and go walk down Yonge street with your balls hanging out, see what happens...

[blueblood]

So is nudity, yet here's a pic where "a police officer smiles as a naked man rides past on a scooter, while celebrating the march down Yonge Street during the annual Pride Parade in Toronto on Sunday, June 28, 2009."

Of course the officer isn't going to arrest him. It would likely cause a shitstorm if he did. He'd rather have the guy rolling around nude, rather than have a shitstorm. The guy rolling around on the scooter wasn't out of line as far as that event goes. It's not the rolling around naked part that concerns me, its the stuff that could potentially occur because of rolling around naked, intoxicated, and hormones going like crazy. And that's why mr. cop is there.

I don't think bars are promoted as a family affair, either.

Thus my question regarding if people are ok with the government funding this parade while it is apparently promoted as a family affair. Seems to me this is a case of tolerance-gone-overboard.

I have no problem with the parade taking place, by all means they have the right and went through the proper channels. I don't think any parade should be getting public funding though because you shouldn't have the gov't playing favorites as far as this thing goes. Also I don't think funding should occur for essentially taking a nightclub out on the street. If MDancer says Prideweek gets funding and the parade doesn't, that seems fair. Although I don't like gov't funding for any event in the first place, if one gets it, they all get it.

[blueblood]

Mauritzio,

Why don't you test your theory and go walk down Yonge street with your balls hanging out, see what happens...

I think that would depend on the circumstances. If somebody pantsed him, then I'm pretty sure he gets away. However if he decided to expose himself because he wanted to for whatever reason, he could be in hot water. The parade would be more of a grey area because you could possibly defend yourself by saying your fitting in with the atmosphere. If you crossed the lewd threshold there (god knows what that would be), you could be in hotwater.

[M.Dancer]

If MDancer says Prideweek gets funding and the parade doesn't, that seems fair. Although I don't like gov't funding for any event in the first place, if one gets it, they all get it.

I don't want to be misunderstood. Pride week gets funding..the parade is part of pride week. The parade doesn't get special funding on it's own.

The parade, like lots of parades...attracts corporate sponsors..lots of corporate sponsors.

If I had to justify federal and provincial funding of Pride week(I would rather not, I feel that Pride could be self sustaining with some city funding only)...I would say the funding goes towards things like the street fair, Hiv awareness, youth programmes, concerts (Cyndi Lauper is headling this year) and such, all which is free to the public...

[kimmy]

When I lived in Ottawa I attended Canada Day festivities on Parliament Hill. As an underaged teen at the time, I was certainly surprised to say the least.

This was certainly a publicly funded event (I can't imagine all of those 3rd-rate Can-con singers were playing for free...) and there was certainly a heavy police presence, and there was an amazing tolerance for illegal activity, marijuana use. One could not move for more than 5 meters in any direction without bumping into either an RCMP officer or someone smoking marijuana. At other Canada Day firework I have attended since, I have noticed similar acceptance of marijuana use as well, to a lesser degree (as measured by joints per police officer per meter squared.)

If we are going to gripe about illegal activity at publicly funded events, it seems to me Canada Day festivities should be high on the list.

-k

[M.Dancer]

When I lived in Ottawa I attended Canada Day festivities on Parliament Hill. As an underaged teen at the time, I was certainly surprised to say the least.

Similarly, growing up in Montreal, public festivals all summer are the norm....the Jazz festival. the francofolies, Just for Laughs, St. Jean Baptiste, Canada Day, Victoria Day etc etc...

It would be quite normal to head to one of the squares or Place de Arts to see a free concert, and bring a bottle of wine and some smokables....or during the Jazz fest to catch the numerous acts on St Denis and stroll up and down the boulevard with a beer...

So I was quite surprised when I moved to toronto in 83. My friends told me that there was always an impromtu parade on Yonge that shouldn't be missed...so I made a pitcher of Rob Roys...and sat on the wall at Yonge and Wellesley...thea a very tall, very polite constable asked me what I was drinking..."Rob Roys" I said....He confiscated the thermos and, much to my horror, emptied it down the sewer....and advised me against drinking in public.

How differnt the culture of two cities could be....in Montreal, if anything, the cops there would have put it in their cruiser for later.

Edited March 10, 2010 by M.Dancer

[Guest American Woman]

When I lived in Ottawa I attended Canada Day festivities on Parliament Hill. As an underaged teen at the time, I was certainly surprised to say the least.

I thought smoking pot was decriminalized in Canada.

[M.Dancer]

I thought smoking pot was decriminalized in Canada.

No but the penalties were lessoned. You can still get a criminal record and a fine for less that 1/2 ounce.

The time frame Kimmy was writing about, I assume prior to 2002, the penalties could be higher...but most 1st time offenders ccaught with small amounts would not be given any panalty.