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wMy Adventures in ... |
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This blog started when I came to Ukraine to do an internship in September 2002. It is a collection of notes on the time I spend in Ukraine. Now, after I have left Kyiv, I am writing stories of my other adventures.
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wMonday, June 30, 2003 |
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On Being Proud
When Canadians talk about Canada the recurrent word is “proud”. You hear a lot about proud Canadians, proud Ukrainians, proud Arcadians, etc. If you live in Toronto the word “proud” takes on a slightly different colour during the last week of June – the Pride Week. It is the time to don your pink boa, violet stilettos, a wig, leather pants and be “proud”. I feel strongly for the rights of all people to do whatever they want in the privacy of their bedroom as long as they are consenting adults. Combine that with the love to party; and I have missed only one Pride Parade since coming to Canada.
The Parade is a culmination of weeklong parties, events, and parades. This year’s events were scaled down because of SARS, which scared not tourists but rather sponsors, who got scared that SARS would scare tourists. At the end the tourists were there, may be in less numbers that before, but still in significant numbers, but the money were not. The floats were scaled down and, as we heard some onlooker saying, it was “tamer”. Still, the leather men were predictably in leather, the Latin American groups were recreating Rio carnival, and the members of the nudist community were wearing appropriate outfits. If you are asking what outfits they would be wearing – think again – and not all of them should be ‘dressing up’ that way.
Unlike the previous years the weather was perfect: cloudy and nicely cool. The drag queens sufficiently numerous, entertaining and being close to outnumbered by politicians. With upcoming mayoral elections most of the potential candidates came to woo the votes of the gay community. It is a community that votes and has a disposable income to donate.
One thing I love about Toronto is its tolerance and air of freedom. In this city you can truly be yourself. The only other city where I felt the same way was London.
posted by
Lidia at 2:22 PM
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