By: Fridae Mattas
A few weeks ago, the city of Toronto was filled with rainbows of colour and people who were proud to show who they were in the City’s annual Pride Week Toronto festivities. The parties raged from June 24th to July 3rd to celebrate individuality and equality for those who have alternate sexual preferences. I never understood why it was such a big deal, everyone deserves to love someone or to make the mistake of marriage or to have a dream family with children and live a normal life regardless of sexual preferences. We all are human and should be treated with respect no matter how different. There are three parades in total, July 1st was the Transgendered Parade, July 2nd was the Dyke March. To finish off the festivities Sunday July 3rd it was the Pride Toronto Parade, the whole reason why it is now a full week of celebration and not just the weekend. The final parade is meant for everyone, gay or straight to unite and march the streets of downtown Toronto proudly to support their friends and make their voices heard. Globally everyone knows about Toronto’s Pride celebrations, it is the second largest Pride festival in the world and that is also why Toronto was the perfect choice for the World Pride celebrations in 2014. I loved every minute of Pride, I do not judge others by who they are attracted to, as long as you are a good person with a heart of gold, that is all that matters.
There were many dancers breaking it down, fabulous Queen’s working the stage and many bands and artists in flotation. My favorite was Jade Elektra because from the hundreds of Drag Queen’s I have seen perform she was the only one who sang live and that is beyond rare. Ill Nana who have performed with Jade are Dance troupe extraordinaire! They not only danced their hearts out on a puddle filled stage in heels as it poured down, they also had six performances this Pride weekend! ILL NANA sure know how to work it!
Miss Deborah Cox graced the Pride stage for a second time! In fact, she did two performance in one day, a two song set during one of the other parties because their headliners (a dance crew from Europe) could not get through immigration, something along those lines. The amazing female that Deborah is she sang for them and also performed her set later as originally scheduled for the evening of July 2nd at the main stage, better known as the TD Wellesley stage. Deborah Cox has been a huge influence in the carving of my vocals, she has such a powerful incredibly versatile voice with such strength and confidence that always emanates from her when she performs. I was very happy that I was able to cover her performance even though it was in the middle of a torrential downpour we were all very wet. Deborah sang through the rain and we the media kept shooting as the audience grew and danced in the leaking sky.
Growing up with a variety of different people I have come to accept everyone for who they are, not what they are and who or what they do. Proud to be an ally to the LGTTQQ2S community around the world, I will always support the conquest for Love, Equality and Freedom. Until next year my friends, hope everyone had an absolutely fabulously Safe Happy Pride Week in Toronto! Check out the slideshow below for all the photos or hit up FridaeTV, Videos can be found here and below is the 2011 Pride Toronto Parade.
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