Finally it happened. For the first time since I am in Canada I finally visited Gay Parade. After that I had sooo much to say and to show, that I had to let myself calm down a bit. I was afraid that I won't be able to find right words (second language after all!), and some people might get upset. Then I was looking through the papers and found out that all journalists were afraid of the same thing . I learned that it's not a good thing to talk negative about Gay Parade if we are proud Canadians. We all worked very hard to let this day happen, and now it happens every year right after Canada Day - probably to show how important this day is for us. Ok, ok, I am a bit sarcastic. And it is not because I am against people with different sex orientation - someone's sex life never botherd me. Those ones, that I met in my life, were all nice people and deserve to be happy, as all others.
I am hurt - that' s what makes me sarcastic. I am hurt by Gay Parade organizers, some (SOME!) participants and by the City Authorities. I am hurt, because I was PROUD to be one of those open minded torontonians who could be " gay for a day", cheering, sharing their dignity, their coming-out- of- box day, their moment of accepting themselves the way they were, their Pride. I had a pin on my chest "Proud to be here" and was taking pictures of wonderful costumes, beautiful smiles and of cheering crowd. I felt really proud of a group from Iran walking here, in Toronto, with the signs " They kill gays in Iran". It was the only group that was accompanied by a number of police for protection.
It was a hot day, but the crowd was big.
And then they came! Very proud naked men and women. Enjoying their nudity! Mostly in their fifties.One could easily say that their life was not easy at all - all their muscles were down, bodies ugly, and they had nothing to show that they could be proud of (at least I didn't see anything). .What were they fighting for? For their right to put pants down any time they wanted? Showing off their drooping ...mm .. everything, they wanted to find respect and dignity? I felt disgusted, sick and hurt. (Imagine, I was looking at these drooping parts through the tele lens!!! And I was not alone their - you can trust me on this!). After all this spectacle the crowd became quiet, lost - the atmospfhere became different. Nobody remembered any more about that group from Iran, about real meaning of the parade, about those straight people,who were walking shoulder to shoulder with their friends, relatives to show their support. Nobody remembered any more about proud mom, and shy policeman... Appearance of Jack Layton and Mrs. Green Party didn't help. See, understanding that they were just politicions, supporting the rights of gays and lesbians to live normal life, didn't help. They were part of governing elite, they were supposed to know who they were going to walk with and what to support.
Do you know what really made me angry? Our cheap politicians and city people! Now I know that they care only about their momentum, nothing else. These naked men with their ugly everything were walking Downtown all evening till late night (most of them totally drunk).
Why? WHY? W H Y? What were they celebrating? Who allowed them to be naked in public? I won't tell for everybody, but I am traumatised by what I saw. And I am really hurt , that a good thing like fighting for rights to live human life can be hijacked by some politicians who are hoping to buy cheap votes! Now it's clear that the gays and lesbians of Canada have something else to fight for - for the good name of their Pride. Next parade will have less supporters - I won't be there. I am afraid it might come to the point that people will start going to the parade not to show their solidarity, but to visit a Zoo....
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