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Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION
As many as 20,000 take in Pride festivities
As revellers celebrate, politicians trade barbs
The 25th annual Pride Parade kicked off this morning at the Legislature. (MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Photo Store
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Skin-tight Speedo? Check. Lady Gaga fans? Check. Political barbs traded? Those, too.
Thousands came out Sunday for the culmination of 10 days of celebrating gay, lesbian, transsexual, transgendered, intersex, two-spirit and queer people. Pride Winnipeg’s 25th anniversary festivities hit their peak this afternoon with a Pride Parade, capping off a string of earlier events including a beach volleyball tournament, lesbian lube wrestling and a fishing festival.
"It’s the homage to Lady Gaga," said the cheekily-named Gloria Booths, who walked with Pictoria Secrete, also attired in a jaw-dropping silver-spangled outfit that would put the notoriously attention-seeking pop star to shame.
Booths said the outfits – which featured towering headdresses made of pool noodles and dresses made of bottle caps – were made by hand, into the wee hours of Sunday morning.
"We wanted to go sparkly," said Booths, who said the outfits also were a wink to Pride Winnipeg’s silver anniversary.
"The make-up wasn’t much today, because we didn’t go over the top."
Pride Winnipeg chair Barb Burkowski said she estimated 15,000 to 20,000 people attended Sunday’s events, which began with a rally Sunday morning at the Legislature and continued in the afternoon with an outdoor festival at the Forks. Floats included throngs of dancers and revellers tossing shiny beads to those lining the route north on Memorial, east along York Avenue, south on Garry Street and then west on Broadway.
Finding terms to include all participants can be tricky. One person resting along the route on York Avenue said they rejected the terms male and female.
"I don't fit in those boxes," said Alexia Winters, one of the people standing along the parade route. Winters - who has taken hormones, and has both breasts and facial hair – rejects terms like "male" or "female." When Winters fills out forms, there are no boxes to check off that summarize the social work student’s gender identity.
"I'm not one, I'm not the other, I'm not somewhere in between," said Winters, 26.
St. Boniface Conservative MP Shelly Glover was visibly angry after attending the Pride rally at the Legislature. She said the event had been unfairly politicized by comments by Manitoba’s Minister of Justice, Andrew Swan, part of the NDP government.
"I’m more sad than anything because this is about trying to make sure that people are included," said Glover.
"It’s not a political event. It’s an expression of pride...to make it political and try to gain political points, is disgusting.
"I’ve been here seven years, Andrew Swan, it’s his first year here, shame on him."
Glover said she supports Bill C-279, which seeks to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code.
The bill would make sure the Rights Act included "gender identity and gender expression as prohibited grounds of discrimination."
Swan made no apologies for his stance, as he walked along York Avenue greeting people along the route.
"I reminded people in 1987, that it was the NDP government that brought in the Human Rights code, and protected sexual orientation...," he said.
"And every single New Democrat voted in favour of it, and every single Conservative voted against it."
He said "in Manitoba, they’ve opposed everything we’ve done to move the goal post on protected sexual orientation, and making Manitoba more inclusive."
"There’s nothing wrong with telling people that," he said.
gabrielle.giroday@freepress.mb.ca
History
Updated on Sunday, June 3, 2012 at 2:31 PM CDT: added attendance estimate
4:04 PM: updated with comments from participants, politicians
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