Toronto to host World Pride 2014
INTERNATIONAL NEWS / Beats out Stockholm for huge celebration
Xtra staff / National / Sunday, October 18, 2009
Share |

(Xtra files)
Delegates at the InterPride conferece in St Petersburg, Florida have chosen Toronto to host World Pride in 2014.

Toronto prevailed in the second round of voting, Oct 18, to beat out Stockholm Sweden, 77 votes to 61.

InterPride is an international association of Pride organizers.

World Pride launched in 2000 when it was held in Rome, Italy. It was awarded to Jerusalem, Israel in 2006 but was badly curtailed because of war in the area.

It's scheduled for London, UK in 2012. InterPride says it will happen every five years subsequent to Toronto in 2014.

The effort to have World Pride in Toronto was led by Pride Toronto. Read its press release here.



Share |


Reader Comments


 
Wonderful news
that is sure to make conservative heads explode all accross Canada.
Naked Gord, TheLeft Ontario
10/18/09 2:37 PM EST
Report this comment to moderator.
Time to Renovate!
The Village needs a make-over before 2014, here are some suggestions: 1. Re-pave Church Street and its sidewalks, possibly widenening them. 2. Build a new park in the village, or at least make Cawthra Park look less like a dumpster/homeless shelter. 3. Bring back Crews and 5ive! 4. Keep the Village gay, don't let Zelda's turn into a Money Mart or a bank. 5. Make the "Queer West Village" live up to its name, instead of masking that it's really just a boring run-down neighbourhood in a lousy part of town. 6. Have a separate ferry for Hanlan's Point. 7. Build some more economical accomodations. 8. Do something about the users and losers who bother people for smokes and money everyday. 9. If OutTV still exists, make it better. 10. Keep Xtra free and real!
Your Neighbour, Toronto ON
10/18/09 7:51 PM EST
Report this comment to moderator.
Turf War
5. Make the "Queer West Village" live up to its name, instead of masking that it's really just a boring run-down neighbourhood in a lousy part of town. (That queers love so much. Yep that's us.) One wonders where Pride Toronto will hold World Pride 2014? The Village that needs a make-over, if its still around or the lousy part of town? Will there be a turf war between Queer West Arts Festival and Pride Toronto since run back to back, with over lap?
West Bender, Toroto ON
10/19/09 2:26 PM EST
Report this comment to moderator.
I'm sure it'll be the best
I have no doubt that World Pride 2014 will be the best one so far and set the standard for all future World Prides. Despite all the bitching and moaning amongst Toronto LGBT folk we still manage to pull it together and throw a hell of a good party. It helps that Toronto as a whole is a fairly gay positive city, with some exceptions of course, what I'm not looking forward to is all the anti-gay bigots mouthing off over this, check out the comments in the Toronto Star for a sample of them and the whining about tax dollars being used to support queer LGBT events even though the tax money spent has a great rate of return that makes tax money for all citizens. I'm sure it will be a big enough event for the Village and Queer West plus other areas of the city to all be involved. I'm looking forward to it and all the foreign hotties who will be visiting us, let Vancouver have the Olympics, World Pride will be way more fun than them anyways.
Rich, Toronto Ontario
10/19/09 7:26 PM EST
Report this comment to moderator.
An Opportunity
World Pride 2014 will be an opportunity for our community if we can do more than just turn it into an quasi-international party for the too few countries where LGBT people do have at least some equality and human rights. This is an opportunity to act in world solidarity for the large number of our sisters and brothers around the world who live in countries where being Lesbian, a Gay man or Transgendered is a crime in itself. That includes nations such as Iran where the penalty for same-sex sexual activity can be the gallows. Here in Canada, we have not yet reached full equality and we must be careful not to take gains in equality for granted. There are social conservative power groups who are working to roll back gains such as protection from hate speech and marriage equality. There are also areas we have much work to do. For example, homophobic bullying and transphobic bullying in schools is still a serious issue. However, we still are far better off than we could be in many other nations, sadly even the United States where LGBT people cannot be out and honest and still serve their country in the armed forces and where marriage equality exists only in a few states. Conditions are much worse in parts of Africa, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Yes, let us gather in Toronto to have fun and show pride in ourselves. Being Gay is a gift from God worth celebrating. However, World Pride 2014 must be an opportunity, starting now, to engage in special actions of solidarity for LGBT people everywhere. Quoting feminist Rosemary Brown, "Until we all have made it, none of us have made it."
Wayne Madden, Edmonton Alberta
10/19/09 11:04 PM EST
Report this comment to moderator.
Dancing together
"I'm sure it will be a big enough event for the Village and Queer West plus other areas of the city to all be involved." Rumour has it Queer West has no interest, now or in the future, of doing any colloration with Pride Toronto. QWF did try to hook up with Pride this year. Tracey Sandilands snubbed them. Then Pride Toronto illegally used Queer West Fest's coporate name to promote their festival in June. East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet. Queer Toronto is a divided city, thanks to Pride Toronto.
West Bender, Toronto ON
10/20/09 2:15 AM EST
Report this comment to moderator.
Dancing together
To clairify my last comment that's Queer West (The Corporation.) Queer West Fest belongs to the Corporation. To be fair, there are one off, one day pride events that take place associated with Pride Toronto. Toronto won't see a nearly month long queer festival like Montreal in 2014.
West Bender, Toronto ON
10/20/09 3:03 AM EST
Report this comment to moderator.
Not A Turf War
West Bender, I was not inciting a turf war, that's all you buddy. I do believe I called out both Church St. and Queen West for their shortcomings, so let's be fair. And more to your point about making Pride more diversified, I totally agree with you. I hope by 2014 it does spread into other pockets of Toronto that really can testify to being gay friendly. But just to demonstrate that many Torontonians aren't so friendly, another commenter made the point that reaction to World Pride from comments on other national and local media outlets are very negetive. We shouldn't assume just because it's Toronto, everyone is automatically on board with Pride. There are alot of people in the city and surrounding areas who HATE everything about Pride and think that it's just a public funded "Sex Parade". So there is no need for a "turf war" when we still have real enemies all over the city.
Ryan, Toronto Ontario
10/23/09 1:03 PM EST
Report this comment to moderator.