For immediate release.

10 March 2010

Pride Toronto focuses on celebrating 30 years in Parade

New terms of participation include staying on theme

Toronto, ON

This week Pride Toronto unveiled revised terms and conditions for groups applying to participate in the 2010 Parade and Dyke March. As part of Pride's efforts to respond to community feedback, participating groups will be asked to ensure that messages support the theme of the 2010 festival, celebrating "30 Years of Pride" in Toronto.

Pride has worked diligently to manage significant increases in attendance and activities over recent years, while ensuring the festival maintains a strong connection with the local community.

"In reaching out to the community, we have received exciting feedback on many topics over the past year," said Jim Cullen, Co-Chair of Pride Toronto's Board of Directors. "Our community sees Pride as a celebration of who we are and how far we have come. So we're asking all parade participants to focus on that."

In past years, Parade participants were asked to agree to non-discrimination policies and act in a manner supportive of the celebration of Pride.

Similar to policies already in place for other major Pride festivals, Pride Toronto will now require all Pride Parade and Dyke March participants ensure their messages support the theme of the year's festival. Participating groups must agree to avoid any messages that promote violence or hatred and to have their messages and signage approved by the Ethics Committee of Pride Toronto in advance of the event. Groups who fail to cooperate with the new practices will be denied permission to take part or removed from the line-up if necessary.

"We are promoting freedom of expression and diversity in a way that is positive and supportive of our community. We hope to include everybody who wants to participate," said Cullen. "We encourage all Parade groups to respect the spirit of celebration and inclusion that the Pride Parade represents."

Pride Toronto begins accepting applications to participate in the 2010 Pride Parade and Dyke March on March 15th. Interested groups are encouraged to visit pridetoronto.com for information and application forms.

About Pride Toronto:
Pride Toronto is the not-for-profit organization that hosts Pride Week, an annual festival held during the first weekend of July in downtown Toronto. Pride Toronto exists to celebrate the history, courage, diversity and future of Toronto's LGBTTIQQ2SA* communities and is one of the leading cultural events of its kind in the world with a total economic benefit in 2009 of $136 million.

Toronto's Pride Week has previously been named Best Festival in Canada by the Canadian Special Events Industry and is recognized as one of only eight Signature Events in the City of Toronto. It is ranked one of the TOP 50 festivals in Ontario by Festivals and Events Ontario (FEO) as well as one of the 18 Marquee Festivals of Distinction in Canada. With attendance of over 1,2 million, it is the third largest Pride celebration in the world and the largest in North America. http://www.pridetoronto.com
*Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer, Questioning,2-Spirited and Allies

Media Contact:
Michael Ain, Marketing and Communications Manager
Tel: 416.927.7433, Ext. 226
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
www.pridetoronto.com

*Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer, Questioning,2-Spirited and Allies