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You may have heard rumours that this year things are going to be a little tougher for nudists at Toronto's Gay Pride festivities. There's an article in the current issue of NOW Magazine that discusses this a little. It's available online at their web site, but I've reproduced it here for your convenience, so that I can comment on what the author says.
(Added July 1998)
In the article, you will seems claims being made that the City of Toronto is threatening to withhold future permits for the Pride parade, and claims that the police are threatening to arrest nudists. In fact, when the police and city do officially make their opinions known in the following weeks, it is clear that they are distancing themselves from the Pride committees claims. Further, on Pride Day itself, the police completely ignored TNT!MEN and our nearly naked outfits. It's clear in retrospect that this controversy was manufactured by David Clark. To great success, I might add: for the first time ever, every single person in Toronto knew about the Pride parade for weeks in advance, and were warned that there would be naked people and that they would be arrested. How much more exciting can you get? :-)
Keep clothes on, Mel saysBy ENZO Di MATTEO |
Get Naked, Spike saysBy Spike |
| Those planning to strut their buff stuff
at this year's gay pride parade may find themselves in cuffs in a police
paddy wagon.
Fantasy for some, no doubt, but Pride Day organizers have been warned by unnamed bureaucrats in the city's bylaw department, the mayor's office and police that any displays of nudity will be met with the firm hand of the law, so to speak -- and possibly, a denial of permits for festivities in the future. |
According to what I've been able to ascertain, no-one has officially made any warnings to anyone. In fact, no-one will publicly admit to making such warnings, meaning that they are mere rumours. And not typical rumours, but toxic ones, ones that inspire fear and self-censorship. However, since neither the city nor the police department have made any official announcements, we should ignore these rumours, and not let mysterious "sources" rule our lives, sources with their own private agenda but without the courage to admit it publicly. |
| Pride chair David Clark says volunteer
marshals will be pointing out transgressors to police this year, a curious
turn for some, considering the only official statement from police last
year was that there was no concern about nudity or obscenity.
Clark says public complaints have been growing and that, "There's a real prospect we won't get our permits -- not this year, but next year. Police have to be seen to be doing something." |
David Clark wrote a letter to TNT!MEN on behalf of the Pride Committee of Toronto, in which they claim to be compelled by city regulations to point out all transgressions of the law to the police on duty. This is clearly ludicrous, and the city has denied any such regulation. According to Kyle Rae, City Counsellor, this rumour resulted from a volunteer training session at which a police representative instructed the volunteers to report any nudity to them. However, since being mostly naked in the context of Pride Day is NOT ILLEGAL, this sort of behaviour could be considered harrasment and a waste of police time. It also sets a terrible precedent. If David Clark wants his people to act as police, then he'd better make certain that they are only harrassing people who are breaking the law. |
| Spike, a member of Totally Naked Toronto Men Enjoying Nudity (TNT!MEN), a group fingered specifically by Clark for their nude antics last year, says there's a deeper issue. | Antics?? Sheesh, how demeaning! We did have a great time, although it was quite scary at first. The fear and anxiety plus the relief I felt at the extremely positive reaction from the crowd led to a pleasant sense of euphoria and exhilaration, but I was certainly aware of the three individuals I saw who seemed to disapprove. |
| "Can my willy really bring down society
as we know it?" Spike asks. "How can we claim to be proud of
our sexuality, how can we celebrate our lives in all their complexity and
wonder, and yet be ashamed of our bodies?"
As for whether there'll be any such expressions this year, Spike says that will be up to individuals. |
Well none of us wants to deal with being arrested, even if we are certain that the charges will be dismissed. It would still be expensive, difficult, and a huge waste of time. However, we are doing what we can to forestall any such problems; stay tuned to this site for the latest info. We don't intend to let false rumours and unofficial warnings frighten us; if the police really do intend any actions, rest assured that they will make an official statement to that effect, and when they do, they will have to respond to the legal argument. |
| A police spokesperson did not return
a request for comment from NOW. Meanwhile, Jim Warren, spokesperson
for Mel Lastman, says he hasn't heard anything about city warnings
to Pride Day organizers to clean up their act.
He says the mayor plans to take part in the parade "for at least a good half hour, but doesn't want to participate in a parade where there are illegal acts of nudity." |
Even the city doesn't know anything about these mysterious "warnings". That means it's completely safe to assume that they are nothing more than hot air from uppity underlings. |
NOW also honoured my words with the status of QUOTE OF THE WEEK on page 14:
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