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Pride / Naked folks can't stuff political tracts in pockets story by Celene Adams / Xtra! Jun 3 1999 It's the first year of a revamped Pride Week Community Fair aimed at the volunteer groups that make the vibrant gay and lesbian community what it is. But some continue to opt out. And the complaints vary. "The nature of the day has changed. It's become like a Mardi Gras or a party," says the Coalition For Lesbian And Gay Rights In Ontario's Christine Donald, waxing nostalgic about the early 1980s, when there was a more intimate, folksy kind of feeling. Donald says the change in the nature of Pride Day is why she doubts CLGRO will rent a table this year. "We're a political group and a lot of people aren't dressed to carry away pieces of paper," she says. Too much partying is a new complaint. Most who opt out of renting tables cite too many people, not enough space, and poor organization as the deterrents. In years past, retailers complained about the tables and vendor booths on Church St because pedestrian traffic inhibited entry to their own establishments, says Scott Ferguson of the Pride committee. "Booths were then moved to the centre of the street, and this year have been moved to Wellesley St," he says. Some say they just don't have the energy to rent a table. The Canadian Lesbian And Gay Archives's Edward Tompkins says it's involved in too many other Pride events to take part in the Community Fair. (The Archives will host a gala at Buddies In Bad Times to celebrate acquiring the theatre's records and to announce a new artistic director, replacing the departing Sarah Stanley.) But the absence of such groups hasn't affected attendance this year. Community Fair co-chair Kim-Ellen Hurst says she's received 120 applications for spots - the same number as last year. "We had lots of good feedback [last year]. Community groups were happy being put on Wellesley," she says. Setting up the tables on Wellesley instead of on Church means the groups don't compete for space with retailers, entertainment stages or beer gardens. Hurst, who's new to her position, stresses that she'd like to talk to those groups who have reservations about renting, or can offer feedback about how to improve the process. Sometimes what stands in the way of getting a table is money. Tables are $250 this year (plus a $100 damage deposit that's returned at the end of the day). That's too expensive for many, but there are bursaries available to those who can't afford a table. Two of five bursaries have gone to Front Runners, a running group, and Q-Age, a spiritual group. To find out more about renting, contact Kim-Ellen Hurst at (416) 92-PRIDE, or attend the weekly Tuesday night meetings at 7pm at the 519 Church Street Community Centre.
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Celene Adams
We're here, we're proud and we're noisy! And noisy is what Pride means to many Torontonians. Every year, Pride draws noise complaints from reproachful residents and retailers in the Church-Yonge-Wellesley area. But it's the horn honking and rowdy behaviour, not noise from the beer gardens and entertainment stages, that most people complain about. "People associate that with the event. But the event itself is fairly well contained and organized," says Chris Andrew, the City Of Toronto Noise Section co-ordinator. Her office didn't get many calls about the parade weekend itself last year, says Chris Phibbs, assistant to Downtown City Councillor Kyle Rae. "The biggest complaint we received last year was about a float parked outside City Park co-op building with drums on it." Perhaps residents who don't like noise leave town for the well-publicized Sun, Jun 27 Pride weekend. Phibbs fielded 12 complaints - and cops received 56 - about Gay Caribana last August. It was shut down, even though the music was cranked in the early evening, and not late at night. Phibbs says the cell phone number for the one noise control officer on duty during the festivities is distributed to residents in the Church and Wellesley area. The officer checks out any complaints using a decibel-level metre, she says. "Above 85 decibels is quite unreasonable and quite objectionable," says Andrews, comparing that level to the noise a truck travelling at 60 mph would make. But "our main instrument is our ears and minds," he adds, saying that the metre is used more as a guide, rather than to provide an exact measure." We consider several factors, like time of day and location too," he says. The city also distributes flyers encouraging residents to report noise complaints. Some local businesses object to the flyers. "There's people sending in complaints that aren't true, and it's a hassle," says Cafe Babylon's Amir Ebrahimnia. Some come from ex-employees, competitors, or jokers, he claims. "There's a lot of political stuff going on, especially with the non-smoking by-law coming in." Every year the Pride committee issues hundreds of pamphlets to local apartment buildings and retailers notifying them about Pride and asking them to come to the annual community meeting to discuss their noisy neighbours. This year's meeting was held in March and no one voiced any complaints. Still, Pride's being prudent this year. In hopes of keeping the rumba to a rumble, it's moved the Pride Stage to Wood St, in front of Maple Leaf Gardens. "We hope the building will block some of the noise," Pride's Scott Ferguson says of the upcoming celebration. Five stages will be set up along Church, Wood, and Yonge Streets to accommodate the hundreds of thousands people expected to attend. More than 70 live musicians, comedians, and performance artists are scheduled to rouse, rile, and rock their way through the Pride weekend extravaganza. The stages close down at 11pm. |
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