The UTSU and the U of T Pride Committee coordinated a united U of T contingent for Pride Toronto’s 30th anniversary parade.
“The UTSU has worked with LGBTOUT to participate and, as such, has a special relationship with the event,” said UTSU President Adam Awad, the first openly gay President of the Students’ Union.
The U of T Pride Planning Committee consists of staff, students, and faculty who meet four times a year to coordinate logistics and theme for the parade and develop activities for throughout the week.
“Over the course of the week there were a bunch of events held as well,” said committee co-chair Alex Wells. “All in all this whole process is powered in a large way by students. But, we do for sure have staff and faculty involvement too, because they are a part of the community as well.”
The parade maintained an activist flair with shirts and bandannas from LGBTOUT that read “My Pride is Political” and “My Pride is Free Speech.” Joined by students from Ryerson, York, and George Brown participants distributed ‘goody-bags’ with candy, condoms, and materials on a campaign to end the Canadian Blood Services’ ban on gay blood donors.
The contingent also included a truck with a live Samba band. “It is such a unique sound during the march and it really is felt both in the contingent and the crowd,” said Wells.
In future years Awad hopes that U of T will be more prevalently featured in the parade. “As some of the most active members in the community and given the role that we have historically played, it would have been nice to be closer to the front of the parade, rather than the back, which is where we have been for several years.”
U of T events throughout the week included a BBQ, pubnight, and shirt decorating party. The U of T community also participated in the Trans, Dyke, and Take Back the Dyke marches.
