Pride Weekend In Retrospect

So here we are, at the tail-end of another weekend full of sunshine, gorgeous women, and a whole lotta Pride.

I warn you now -- I'm not much of a 'scene queen.' I'm the quiet, reflective type who tends to hang out and observe from the sidelines. Regardless of that, I do have a story or two to share from the Pride events this year. So, let's not dally -- HERE WE GO!

Friday, June 26/09

I arrived home from work right as O'Neill was pulling into our driveway. O'Neill is a very close, and also very queer, friend of mine from my bright, shiny days as an undergrad. He was the first person I ever REALLY came out to and he is one of the few people who knows enough dirt on me to blackmail me from here to eternity if he so desired (but hey, I'm in the same position with him, too, for the record.) 

I was debating for about two weeks as to whether we should check out the 2009 Clam Slam (aka. The All- Queer Roller Derby Event) happening on the 26th. Trust me, I was salivating at the thought of it. However, after pouring over a map of the event location, I realized there was little chance of our traveling there. It's WELL OFF the beaten track in terms of TTC routes I'm familiar with. Plus, I knew it would be a hectic crunch to run from work to an evening event and then wake up bright and early for the next day. 

Alas. It was a no-go in the end.

O'Neill and I still had a great time, of course. I took him to a restaurant called Ami Sushi where I got to show off my recently-acquired chopstick skills. (I'm still very proud of that -- I was terrible with chopsticks up until, oh... maybe five months ago?). I tell you, there is nothing finer than tofu steaks and veggie tempura. *Drools at the memory* And O'Neill got to try miso soup for the first time and discovered the wonder that IS the bento box. Good times.

We finished the night off with tea, epic amounts of chocolate, and a glorious Japanese television show that featured an epic 24-hour game of tag. HARD. CORE.

Saturday, June 27/09

... And so began the BEST DAY OF THE YEAR, second only to Christmas -- THE DAY OF THE DYKE MARCH.

I put quite the bit of effort into this year's DM outfit. I decided to femme it up some and opted for this clingy, star-spangled black shirt I bought about a year ago. Picture this: a corset-like gathering around my waist, a trail of black ribbon down my back, a rather plunging neckline (for what I'm used to, anyway), and some short sleeves to show off all the hours I've spent at the gym. Mmm hmm. I felt fine. 

I even splurged on breakfast -- I made our classic "Toad in a Hole" (aka. A piece of bread with an egg fried right into the middle), some fresh watermelon and strawberries, and some heirloom tomatoes with olive oil, basil, and goat cheese feta. I know -- I was impressed with myself. Gotta have a breakfast to take pride in. *Will try and stop with Pride puns*

After that, it was an odd start to the day:

• Missed the 11:30 am Go Train.
• O'Neill helped a tourist carry her bags up a flight of stairs and her husband tipped him with an American $5 bill (Whoo hoo!)
• My camera batteries died right as we were going to take the first photos of the day. Did not come equipped with back-ups.
• Waited for, and caught, the 12:30 pm train. Got to be obscene and lather myself with sunscreen on our trip in. (I'm very pale and very obsessive about my skin care. And yeah, low-cut shirt + sunscreen = Fun for every commuter in our car.)
• Played "Spot the Other Queers" on our trek in to the city.
• Cruised in to Union Station at 1:15 pm. Opted for the subway to make sure we got to The Gaybourhood on time for the March.

OH MAN -- I tell you, it's such an amazing rush of excitement to step out of the subway station at Wellesley, especially during Pride. We were greeted with thudding bass lines, semi-naked women and men, and more rainbow flags than the eye could handle. It's just like when Dorothy Gale steps out of her hurricane-battered house and enters the colourful, magical world of Oz for the first time. I understand now why Judy Garland is considered a gay icon.

As we were walking down Yonge Street to the start of the March, we ran into some folks we'd known through various queer events/groups on campus. Hmm.... seems like that background story is better left to another post. All I can really say is, the group is definitely fun and energetic, but O'Neill and I just never clicked with them. We were two different worlds, it seems. Anyhow, regardless of that, we stuck with the crew and celebrated the March with them.

Oh, how exciting the roar of those motorcycles are. The Dyke March starts with this intense cavalcade of Dykes on Bikes. I WISH I had my camera at a moment like that -- the parade was held up for a minute or two (not sure why) and all these women from the sidewalks poured out onto the street to get their pictures taken with some of the dykes. There were studded jackets, bikini tops, riding crops, and Pride flags EVERYWHERE for a brief moment. I totally would have gotten O'Neill to snap a few shots of me right in the middle of the mayhem.

I got to see my Roller Derby gals, too. AND I found out later that the Toronto Newsgirls Boxing Club was in the March again this year!! They were the honoured group at the 2008 March and they returned for more girl-on-girl boxing action for 2009.

Nothing like fit women and a portable boxing ring to make any queer girl's heart sing.

I was beaming the entire time. What an experience it is to see queer, bi, and trans women of all backgrounds and age groups marching together and getting hollered at by all us ladies on the sidewalks. As you can see from the above photo, there are no barricades in place to separate the crowd from the procession, so there's this inclusive sort of energy that takes root. I mean, even though I was watching from the side lines, I still felt a part of the entire event. Haha, at least they didn't end this year's March with the entirely anti-social street cleaners that both metaphorically AND literally swept us away from the sidewalks.

After that, O'Neill and I headed down Church Street to check out the merchant stalls and to do a bit of crowd gazing. I feel like I'm gushing here, but it's still such a rush to be in the middle of the biggest queer gathering in Toronto -- I mean, you've got families with young children covered in rainbows; you've got the baby dykes and the twinks; there are the bears, the cougars, and all the cubs; you've got members from the 50+ queer groups; there are trans girls and bois; you've got straight allies showing their support -- EVERYONE is there. I always feel so fresh, energetic, and included during Pride. We were there for, what... maybe 5 hours or so, and I had this perma-smile plastered on me the entire time.

I even managed to pick up some of those rainbow, silicone bracelets in support of PFLAG. At long last, I own a piece of unabashedly queer-related jewelry. Haha, it was my goal to find an item this year and hey, it even supports an excellent organization that protects and informs queer youth and their families.

Had a late lunch/early dinner at a spot called Brownstone Bistro & Bar on Yonge St. It's classy, cafe fare with a clean and charming atmosphere. Had a grilled veggie, open-faced sandwich with a side salad and a bottle of Sleeman's Clear. (Yes, I'm obsessed with food -- can you tell? ;))

We took a second stroll down Church Street to get one last burst of Pride and then walked back to Union Station. It's such an amusing trek, I have to say. It's almost as if the volume on life gets turned down the further you walk from Church. And, I mean, that's not just because it's the Pride weekend -- even if it's a regular day, you can feel the mood shift. Not to mention, you can pick out fewer and fewer gay boys and girls the further you stray from the main hub of Church/Wellesley. You realize you're entering the "Real World" again. Paf.

Anyhow, we picked up some Dairy Queen at Union and hopped back on the train. O'Neill had to duck out once we got back to my place since he had plans with his boyfriend for today (Sunday, June 28). I'm still a bit down that I had to miss the main Parade for another year in a row. I've never actually had the chance to attend the big, blowout event that caps off the entire week. 2008 was the first time I'd ever attended ANY Pride events (that was for the Dyke March) and yeah, I'd been hoping to get to the main event this time around. 

I've decided that I need to find a lesbian entourage that will be available for the Pride parade. That, or I just need to come out to my high school friends since I know they'd all be down with the events. (I went to an arts' high school, we were/are all very liberal). 

It's something I still struggle with -- trying to find a niche for myself within the queer community. I mean, O'Neill and I are tight and I love the bond we've created as a couple of gay nerds. But, the same issues remain: A) There are only two of us to attend major events, and B) We both unintentionally cock-block one another. (e.g. I block all the boys from hitting on O'Neill and O'Neill blocks all the girls from hitting on me). HAHA, it's quite the conundrum. I think we just need to expand our ranks a little and then we'll be in a good place. Divide and conquer, that's what I vote for.

Alright, seems as though I've rambled quite a bit for this evening. Here's hoping that the rain during the day never dampened the energy of the LGBT kids in the city. Hope everyone had a crazy Pride weekend and I hope that the hangovers don't treat you too rough tomorrow morning for work. ;)