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Toronto Pride Parade 2010
The 2010 Pride Parade in Toronto was a stark contrast to the tension and anger of last week's G20 protests. Toronto's queer community celebrated with music, water guns, and lots of skin in Sunday's march around the Village and surrounding areas.
But the event wasn't without its share of political tension as marchers from Queers Against Israeli Apartheid stood nearly side to side with members of Kulanu, a Jewish LGBTQ social and educational group affiliated with Hillel of Greater Toronto.
It was only last week that Pride Toronto reversed its decision to ban the controversial group against alleged Israeli Apartheid, upsetting many members of Toronto's Jewish groups who find the term "apartheid" offensive and inaccurate.
Tomer Chervinsky, a member of Kulanu Toronto, told me: "It's really important people see Israel for what it is...which is a truly diverse and inclusive and truly gay positive place...[Queers Against Israeli Apartheid] simply promote a falsehood. The message that they're promoting is specifically designed to engender negativity towards the Jewish and pro-Israel community."
A few steps away I spoke with Elle Flanders, the gay Jewish representative of Queers Against Israeli Apartheid, who told me: "They have gay rights in Israel, which I think is fantastic and I'm all about that, but that doesn't mean that it also erases all the crimes against humanity."
The debate could be felt among the crowd as well, as Mel Glickman, a passerby donning a pro-Israel T-shirt told me, "I'm furious with [the supporters of Queers Against Israeli Apartheid] who go around screaming "apartheid!" They don't even know the meaning of the word "apartheid."
Leftover issues from last week's G20 protests were also visible, as numerous people walked by with "Fuck the police" signs and messages that accused the police of mistreating gays during the protests.
Despite these lingering issues, the parade wasn't dominated by unrest. There was plenty of the typical celebratory spirit spread among the the participants and those in attendance.
Video:
Toronto Pride 2010 from Tom Davis on Vimeo.
Additional photos:
Photos by the author. Video by Tom Davis.
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Nice photos.
Next year my hubby and I may just get outtatown. Congrats though on another "peacfull" pride.
QuAIA are against the actions of the Israeli government, not Israelis (equiv. to how one might have criticized the Bush government without having any ill-will toward/contempt for Americans). An important distinction it seems too many people fail to make.
It seems many commenters in this thread are mis-interpreting the quotation from Elle Flanders. All she's saying is this: there is a tendency for people to excuse quite extreme, militaristic actions by the Israeli government because of the "liberal," "progressive" social atmosphere in Israel (ie. tolerance of gays) when compared to many other places in the Middle East.
What Elle, and QuAIA broadly, are saying is that there is something problematic about people accepting all the actions of a government wholesale, just because they happen to have some policies that we like quite a bit. Just because "we" have achieved our rights (in Israel, or in Canada with gay marriage/the ability to have a Pride Parade, or wherever) this doesn't mean that as progressive-minded people our "work" is finished- you shouldn't just sit down and be thankful for your rights once you have them, you should use your rights-holding status to help achieve rights for others who don't have them yet.
This precise sentiment- this idea of using the tolerance/rights that have been afforded to one group to fight for the rights and acceptance of others- has been a key part of queer struggle in Canada (a good example- queer community using their visibility/acceptance/rights to act as allies of transpeople), which is why- to respond to Julie- it makes sense to address these issues in the context of Pride.
Of course, it's definitely contestable what actually is the best "progressive" course of action regarding this Israeli/Palestine conflict, and I don't want to minimize that important discussion. But in these comments, I see an awful lot of perpetuation of crass misinformation about the stance of QuAIA that really only serves to obfuscate and shut down the substance of this important discussion.
Israeli treatment of Palestinians is an important issue that should be discussed in other forums that deal with this aspect of human rights.
As far as I can tell, it's OK for this group to insult Jews, but to criticize Muslim countries about their human rights records - that's about as off limits as cartoons about Mohamed.
There are other groups that protest the treatment of LGBTTIQ people in other countries. Amnesty International usually has a large contingent in the parade for this purpose. QuAIA has a specific mandate, but that doesn't mean that the members of QuAIA aren't also active for other causes. The members that I know are active in many other causes.
The Pride parade is about many things for many people. For some people, it's a day to wear glitter and get drunk. For some, it's an opportunity to bring attention to the things that are important to them.
QuAIA started because the Israeli tourist group started a campaign trying to encourage queers to visit Israel. QuAIA, made up of both Palestinian and Jewish queers and allies, take issue with that, and bring an alternative to that.
Steve, I was marching near QuAIA (with the coalition for free speech) and certainly didn't find it a bummer or a downer! People were cheering like crazy!
And by that same token, does that mean that groups like Amnesty International, as I mentioned above who march with signs stating facts about the criminalization of queers in other countries, shouldn't be allowed to march either because they're a "downer"?
I'm not defending Israel or its policies, but it doesn't take much to see that QuAIA's relevance to a celebration of gay pride are tenuous at best.
So...that's why. And who is anyone to say what issues are topical to the gay rights movement? Some people think that the naked folks don't belong at pride, others think they are integral. There are corporations in the parade, the fire department, community groups, churches, etc etc.
Both groups should FO from the event permanently.
Get a flag, go to the streets and change NOTHING.
At the end of the day you are still a fat ass.
Stop whining and start voting.
But I assume that those who think that the anti-Israeli queer movement is the right thing would never, never allow themselves to be swayed by facts, knowing of people feeling free in Israel, or even that protest is alive and well in Israel, where it should be for protest against the Israeli government. These queers against Israel cheapen themselves, Toronto, and all those for whom Pride Toronto has a special meaning of freedom. They are enslaved by their own self-agrandizement, their own ignorance, and their wish to make everyone else as stupid as they are. But the gig is up - they are stupid but we are not.
In Lebanon, palestinians cannot become citizens and they have sat in camps for 60 years and cannot leave. In Egypt, palestinians have no rights. Egypt has a wall with Gaza just like Israel does.
IN Turkey, the Kurds are occupied and their language and culture has been persecuted for 80 years by the modern Turkish state.
Lets be realistic. Israel has its human rights violations like every other nation. Every nation on earth has been invaded, occupied, colonized, reinvaded, recolonized for centuries. Dozens of nations have risen and fallen in what is now the middle east. Canada has been occupied for thousands of years by once warring native tribes, then for hundreds by waring French and English colonists. At the end of the day, Israel is not unique in the world. Everyone knows the Arabs hate Israel because it is a Jewish state that was carved out of lands that were once dominated by Arabs. Its also important to note that that same territory has been dominated by the Turks, British, French, Romans, Byzantines, Assyrians, Armenians, Hebrews etc
More Coke, Trojan, TD Bank please...less Israel/whatevertheytalkingaboutfogetaboutitnesss
Thx.
We need MORE politics, MORE controversy, MORE free speech, and LESS corporate advertising.
What do Coke and TD Bank have to do with the struggle for gay rights? Nothing. They certainly weren't waving the gay banner in the early days of the struggle. They've only jumped on the band wagon in the last few years to take advantage of expendable gay income.
what a waste... there's a difference between chastity and being Gay, Lesbian, Transgendered, or queen in the closet....
None. It was a hot day. Water guns cool people off.
Simple as that.