Toronto’s 3rd annual Pride Month begins today with a 1,000-square-foot art installation
Toronto, June 1 (IBNS): Toronto Pride Month, one of the most awaited events in the calendar of this gay-friendly Canadian city, begins today with a 1,000-square-foot art installation at city hall, with the ceremony starting at 12:30 p.m. when Toronto Mayor John Tory makes the official proclamation.
The hallmark of the official start of Toronto's third annual Pride Month, themed '35 Years of AIDS Activism.' would be the installation of 1,000-square-foot massive art at city hall including the rise of the Rainbow and Trans flags.
The banners would reportedly stay up at the rotunda until the end of the month, and then these will be distributed to parts of the city which lack LGBT visibility.
"There's never been an LGBTQ+ art installation of this type at the rotunda to this scale," said Adam Zivo, executive director of the campaign, adding that the location of the installation is also purposeful.
Pride's annual parade is scheduled to go ahead at 2 p.m. on June 24, following the Dyke March on June 23 and the Trans March on June 22.
The march is part of Pride Toronto's Until We're Safe campaign launched by Toronto earlier this month, who are upset and mourning for victims of alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur.
"It's still a celebration…The Bruce McArthur situation has definitely contributed to that sense of refocusing on the things" said the executive director of Pride Toronto, Olivia Nuamah, adding that she was "pretty psyched" for the month ahead.
"We are trying to…celebrate and look at AIDS service organizations that have been the pillar of the LGBTQ+ community for 30 years and so that's really exciting," she said.
Nuamah added that involvement of more communities and cultures, and highlights in the more local art would be featured in this year's expanded programming,
Some of that talent will be on display at City Hall Friday when the Canadian LGBTQ+ arts campaign reveals a massive art installation by the group LoveisLoveisLov.
LoveisLoveisLove group is asking everyone to drop by their booth with a partner or friend to be photographed interpreting the theme "love is love".
Zivo said that public art, especially in spaces that earlier lacked LGBT content, would be an asset for building social progress.
"Prejudice is ultimately rooted in ignorance…what I'm trying to do is demonstrate that we're just human beings," said Zivo.
There will be reportedly 14 additional blocks of programming, including a wellness zone, art zone and environmental zone.
Pride Toronto is expected to become the first street festival in the city. However, Nuamah said approval for the "drinks to go" plan is still pending.
Artists Brandy and Kehlani along with Toronto artist, Kapri will be present at festival's closing weekend concerts at Yonge-Dundas Square.
Toronto police have withdrawn its bid to march in uniform in 2018 Pride parade.
'What changed was Bruce McArthur,' says Toronto Pride.
At the end of the Pride Parade, organizers will march to pay tribute to lost members of the community as well as those who continue to feel unsafe, in the wake of the Bruce McArthur serial murder investigation, and ask the community wear black and march in silence to remember those who were killed.
(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)
Image: Pride Toronto 2018/Facebook
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