Vera Teschow.ca
  • Home
  • About
    • Overview
    • Education & Diplomas
    • Consulting & PR
    • Teaching Experience
    • Workshop Facilitation
    • Volunteer Experience
    • Extra-Curricular Leadership
    • Writing
  • Learn
  • BLOG
  • Contact

Rise Up!  World Pride 1 of 2

6/29/2014

1 Comment

 
Picture
In addition to  "regular" Pride, Toronto is this year playing host to World Pride, an international event taking place every four years in a different city around the world.  (This is the first time WP has been in North America.)

With Pride celebrations becoming an increasingly global trend, the LGBTTQQIA movement has taken on more of a focus on human rights (and in particular, trans rights) in recent years.  Toronto's World Pride included a 3-day Human Rights Conference hosted at the University of Toronto.

Since our apartment in Mimico had been subletted for our year in Argentina, we decided to rent a place downtown right in the middle of the action for a few weeks; an aviation friend of ours from PEI joined us for a few days at the beginning, and in addition to some concerts and a ball game he already had on his agenda, we managed to drag him along to several Pride-related events...

Opening Ceremonies

The Flag Raising and Opening Ceremonies were held at City Hall last Friday evening.  How amazing it was to be back in Toronto at a time when there is hope for a new Mayor (while Ford is in rehab, several strong candidates have come forward to run and replace him in office), and when an intelligent, talented, articulate woman (who also happens to be GAY!!!) has just been voted into provincial leadership!
Queer Girl Picnic at Christie Pits

On Sunday of Pride's opening weekend, Autostraddle organized a picnic, and we decided to join in the fun.  Assuming allies would be welcome, we brought Brian along with some Alfajors and German Kartoffelsalat.  Both the food and Brian were welcomed without question, but the latter turned out to be the only man there, lol!
After Tats ripped her shirt playing frisbee (first with a dachsund, and then with some lesbians), she continued her sporty trend, and bruised several fingers playing her first game ever of touch football!
The Island

One of my favourite places to visit in summer is the Toronto Islands.  And what better way to celebrate Pride than with a visit to Hanlan's Point?  Although we did not visit the "clothing optional" beach there, we did have a little picnic and do some geocaching before heading over to Centreville so the boys could spend time on their favourite rides, and then -- the few of us left by then, I mean -- on to Ward's where we had dinner at the Rectory Cafe before being caught in the rain and boarding a ferry back to the city.

I think my favourite photo below is the one of Brian holding down the fort while the boys are at Centreville, Adele and Rick are off getting a coffee, Vinx has already left to go see his mother, and Tats and I are just coming back from geocaching...  all alone with the Pride flag sticking out of the picnic table, he looks like a sweet, lonely, elderly gay man, picnic all set up, waiting for some other nice gentleman to join him!!! :D  What a good sport he's been!
Living Downtown

Living downtown for the week meant we could easily walk or bike pretty much anywhere... we did lots of both, even through the ceaseless summer Toronto construction. 

Once Brian headed back to PEI, the kids spent a few days with us. One memorable ride took us to a nearby gelato shop ("Lick It Gelato" on Queens Quay) -- yum!  We also visited a large library with an amazing children's section...
Human Rights Around the World

Although I was doing some supply teaching during the day, Tats and I were able to attend one of the panel discussions, free of charge and open to the public, that formed part of the Human Rights conference.  As we approach the venue, it was so nice to see the cheery rainbow flags adorning the facade of University College, adjacent the field from Convocation Hall!

We heard two speakers, Masha Gessen  (a Russian-American journalist) and Tamara Adrian (a trans advocate from Venezuela).  Both speakers shared the message of importance about making public the names of individual activists whose lives were in danger, not just in their own two countries, but in countries around the world, in order to increase pressure on governments who currently uphold homophobic policies.  I reflected on a comment made by one of the speakers about choosing what to say (with regards to LGBTI rights) in different contexts, and how that choice is somewhat of a luxury for those of us living and working in countries like Canada, while those in some other countries couldn't or wouldn't speak up out of fear, sometimes fear for their very lives!
Sitting in Convocation Hall, I looked around at the great variety of LGBTI folks who had come together to learn about and share with/from one another what was happening on the Human Rights front in countries around the world.  I realised how lucky I am to be living in a place so culturally advanced in terms of inclusion and rights, and I was reminded of the importance of working for the rights and freedoms of our sisters and brothers around the world, while we celebrate our own liberty here in Canada!

After the panel, a good friend (an "ally") took us out for dinner and conversation.

Picture
Street Fair and Dyke March

Finally, Pride Weekend arrived. After spending Saturday morning at the Wychwood Barns Farmers' Market with the kids, we headed over to the street fair and Family Pride.  (Family Pride was sponsored by Home Depot this year, the corporate sponsorship resulting in a significantly larger event than in years past!!)

While the boys spent the afternoon with Brenna, Tats and I stayed at Pride to enjoy the Dyke March, a woman-focused, more political version of the Pride Parade (the latter will happen Sunday afternoon, and will be blogged in "Part Two" of this post).
Tats bought a handmade bowtie, and we found the PEI Pride "booth" (see the last pic below).  There was even a booth for gay pilots!!!
It was so much fun not being a minority for a change... and being in a truly safe space, with so many thousands of people like me!  There were smiles, hugs, laughter everywhere, and such broad inclusion... truly, it makes the hatred remarkable.  I just don't get it!
Here's looking forward to brunch with friends tomorrow, and then the Parade, in all its colourful, sexy, outrageous glory!
1 Comment
Maria
7/22/2014 11:35:48 am

<3 loved the post!!! Thanks for sharing!

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    About Vera...

    Vera & her Sons, April 2021
    After writing for several teacher and multiple birth publications, including ETFO's Voice Magazine, Multiple Moments, and the Bulletwin, Vera turned her written attention to prolific blogging for some years, including BiB,  "Learn to Fly with Vera!"  and SMARTbansho .  Homeschooling 4 was her travel blog in Argentina.  She now spends more time on her Instagram (@schalgzeug_usw)  than her blog (pictures are worth a thousand words?!) 
    DISCLAIMER
    The views expressed on this blog are the views of the author, and do not necessarily represent the perspectives of her family members or the position of her employer on the the issues she blogs about.  These posts are intended to share resources, document family life, and encourage critical thought on a variety of subjects.  They are not intended to cause harm to any individual or member of any group. By reading this blog and viewing this site, you agree to not hold Vera liable for any harm done by views expressed in this blog.
    Picture

    Categories

    All
    Argentina 2013
    COVID 19
    COVID-19
    Cycling
    Family
    Flying
    Geocaching
    Honduras 2011
    Lakeshore
    Lgbtq
    Math Eyes
    Music
    Other Stuff
    Prince Edward Island
    Teaching And Learning
    Teaching-and-learning
    Travel

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    March 2022
    January 2021
    September 2020
    August 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010

Vera C. Teschow, OCT, M.Ed., MOT
Toronto, ON & St Peter's Harbour, PE
www.verateschow.ca 2021
Photos used under Creative Commons from Sean MacEntee, Studio Paars, Bengt Nyman, zeevveez, GoodNCrazy, CJS*64, Accretion Disc, CharlesLam, Courtney Dirks, CJS*64 "Man with a camera", Accretion Disc, Bobolink, Ian Muttoo, BioDivLibrary, Alaskan Dude, IsabelleAcatauassu, runran, Transformer18, jglsongs, Create For Animal Rights, david_shankbone, Paul J Coles, foilman, Newport Geographic, Photo Everywhere, kevin dooley, Claudio , Alex Guibord, Tscherno, f_mafra, Terry Madeley, musee de l'horlogerie, BobMacInnes, wwarby, jonathangarcia, amboo who?, chimothy27, Elin B, cliff1066™, Grzegorz Łobiński, Rennett Stowe, Farhill, Phil Manker, Guitarfool5931, airguy1988, dierk schaefer, Rob Stemple, katerha, StockMonkeys.com, Ramotionblog, andrewk3715, charlywkarl, AJC1, rachel_titiriga