The controversy we've all been ducking an just hoping would go away appears to have hit a flashpoint in the national media, with the National Post now reporting that Pride Toronto has banned the anti-Israeli-occupation group Queers Against Israeli Apartheid from participating in the parade. Queer activist Andrew Brett blogs about the government and corporate pressure that he alleges members of the Jewish community have leveraged against Pride to get the group banned. And Pride Toronto issues a vague press release that doesn't actually confirm that the group's been banned, but "rejects in the strongest terms any statements made by persons claiming to speak on its behalf that embrace a political or partisan viewpoint" -- uh, is that a reference to Pride Grand Marshall El-Farouk Khaki's recent speech at a QAIA event? And since when does Pride "not have any affiliations whatsoever to political entities or causes"? Isn't the whole point of Pride that it's a public declaration of the fight for queer rights?

On the brighter side of the news, the old Queen visited premier McGuinty this week. Yes, that's right Dalton shook hands with Elton John himself, who may or may not have been staying a mysterious mansion in Caledon that John may or may not own, according to the Star. Perhaps the country estate would be a good place to bury the harmonised sales tax that MPPs are begging the premier to do a better job of covering up. (Today's queer angle on the HST: with the new tax, professional services and performance venues are no longer exempt from provincial sales taxes. Expect salon visits, concerts, and theatre tickets to all rise 8% next year!)

Toronto City Council took the bizarre step of imposing a moratorium on licensing new bars on rapidly hipsterizing Ossington Ave. Because in Toronto, when you have a successful, fun, and enjoyable neighbourhood where people are working, playing, and living in harmony, something must be wrong. See also the new club moratorium on Church St. 

Hilariously alarmist news from The Star: Toronto's Catholic District School Board doesn't know what to do about St. Joseph's Morrow Park and Brebeuf College, all-girls and all-boys high schools in North York. The current plan is to relocate St. Ho's next door to Gaybeuf so it can sell off surplus land, but parents think the idea of putting teenage girls and boys in neighbouring buildings -- not even the same classes -- will be dangerous somehow. Why, it's almost as bad as if they were in the same building together! Like all the other school kids in Canada! 

And this weekend sees two great fundraisers happening at Goodhandy's. On Friday, check out the Artwherk! Collective's fundraiser for its annual Pride show, and on Sunday, Genet's Divas and Delinquents is a fundraiser party for upcoming productions of the queer French playwright's Deathwatch and The Maids. I'll be at both parties, and hope to see you there!

The Jewish/Queer minority-on-minority 'hate'-fest continues, and launches to absurd new heights, with "Toronto lawyer and gay rights advocate Martin Gladstone" claiming that Toronto Pride has "very eerie parallels to Nazi Germany." Maybe Gladstone's impression of Nazi Germany was formed entirely by Tom of Finland drawings. Guys, can we not just team up against the obvious bigots in society, instead of tearing ourselves apart?

Meanwhile, the gaybourhood will get a little bit prettier and easier to navigate by bike, as City Council approves mayor Miller's plan to remove the reversible fifth lane on Jarvis street, adding bikelanes, expanded sidewalks, trees, and streetlighting. Not mentioned in the plan: if the street is suddenly going to become a residential, pedestrian friendly zone, will the other major reason that cars drive down Jarvis Street suddenly find itself displaced?

Also, Buddies finally announced its fabulous 2009-10 Season, featuring Nina Arsenault, the Scandelles, and a host of other sexy queer ladies. Get your tickets now! Alternatively, respond to Buddies' want ad for a new artistic director. Isn't it nice to see someone's hiring in this economy?

Ah! Patio weather finally sets in for Torontonians. And what better way to spend the first beautiful weekend of the year then by sitting in a dark theatre, cramming in a bunch of movies at the last few days of the Inside Out queer film festival? Unfortunately, those of us -- including myself -- who didn't manage to get tickets already to what promises to be the sexiest film of the festival, Give Me Your Hand, are shit out of luck. That film, about two French identical twin brothers who have an erotic adventure in Eastern Europe, is already sold out (one may guess that programmer Jason St-Laurent has a particular interest in the subject matter). Some other promising looking entries with tickets still available are the Gays and Confused shorts program, Private Lessons, and The New Twenty.

But all is not great for Toronto's homos. According to the Toronto Police, the number of reported hate crimes rose by 18% last year, with the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans community being the second most frequent target, behind the Jewish community.

As if to duke it out between them, this Saturday sees an event called Queers Against Israeli Apartheid. In response, B'nai Brith has denounced the event, according to this article which uses the word "queers" in scare quotes in its headline. Guys, can't we all just get along?

Meanwhile, Torontoist sorts through an apparent case of anti-queer discrimination against a local queer comic book artist, who had his business refused by a printer on grounds that his religious clients would be offended by the material if they saw it.

Have a great weekend!

The Star has picked up on the story of the Russian lesbian couple hoping to get hitched in Toronto later this summer, which you first read in this column here, and here.

Erstwhile Canadian Olympic figure skater Elvis Stojko insists that he doesn't hate gay people. He says comments he made to ABC News about how figure skating has to become more masculine and stop focusing on "the feminine side of skating" have "nothing to do with sexual preference" (emphasis added).

The 519 community centre has decided to honour local philanthropist Salah Bachir with a lifetime achievement award for his work in Toronto's gay community. Congrats!

The big news of the weekend is the launch of the Inside Out Gay And Lesbian Film Festival, perfect for those of us who like to celebrate the beginning of spring weather by huddling in a dark room all afternoon. Sunday sees the debut of Adam Ruggiero's new film, Make The Yuletide Gay, for maximal seasonal confusion.  

If that doesn't float your boat, Toronto's sexy all-mail burlesque troop, Boylesque TO, will be performing twice this weekend. On Saturday, they're at Spin TO, a fundraiser for the Friends for Life Bike Rally at the Mod Club, and Sunday night they'll be at the World's Biggest Underwear Party at The Barn.

In other eyebrow-raising-and-then-conspicuously-lowering news, former Toronto Centre MP and leader of the opposition Bill Graham has been appointed co-chair of a campaign to raise $1.5 million for the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives.

And this weekend is the last chance to see my play, Balls, running at the Lower Ossington Theatre to Sunday. For the rest of its run, tickets will 2-for-1 for all Xtra readers. Just tell the box office "I heard about this from Xtra," when you make your order. Tickets can be purchased online at lowerossingtontheatre.com or by phone at 416-915-6747.