York gears up for Toronto Pride

Hufsa Tahir
Contributor
The streets of downtown Toronto will ring with the voices of thousands as Toronto’s 31st Annual Pride Parade hits July 3.
Marching once more will be members of the Trans Bisexual Lesbian Gay Allies at York (TBLGAY).

TBLGAY internal coordinator Randy McLin expanded on the “We Demand Redux” theme being undertaken for this year’s float in the parade.
“It reflects on queer and trend activism that has come before us,” he says, adding that TBLGAY is working with artist Matthew Nye from the Art Gallery of York University (AGYU) on their float.
McLin acknowledged the appeal of individual creativity when asked about the potential for a good turnout and remains optimistic about the outcome of Pride Toronto.
“People believe we’ve made it in society today as queer/trans communities and there’s nothing left to fight for,” he says.
“We don’t believe that and we want to provide an avenue for queer/trans communities to express their wants and needs and to mobilize against the oppression [they face] every day. There is a lot of excitement.”
Those interested in volunteering for Toronto Pride 2011 can direct inquiries to tblgay@yorku.ca or to Randy McLin at rmclin@yorku.ca.