Today is big day for women, trans folk

By TAMARA CHERRY - Toronto Sun

First they will march. Then they will celebrate.

It will be a Dyke Day Afternoon around the gay village today as the lesbian, transsexual and transgendered communities make their voices heard.

Unlike tomorrow’s infamous Pride parade, which is expected to attract more than a million participants and spectators, this often overshadowed event has managed to obtain “some form of politicism” for a community that has only recently been welcomed out of the shadows, Pride Toronto executive director Tracey Sandilands said yesterday.

“It’s women and transpeople only. And they are essentially making their voices heard, whereas the parade is celebratory,” Sandilands said.

“I think that this has its roots way back when it started, in that women were very much a hidden part of the community and transpeople up until recently have also been marginalized; even within the queer community, they have been marginalized,” she said. “It’s only the last year or two that the community itself is coming out in support of transpeople as an individual group within the community.”

Among the roughly 40 floats in today’s march will be this year’s “honoured dyke,” singer-songwriter-activist Faith Nolan and “honoured group,” the Toronto Roller Derby League.

The march will kick off at 2 p.m. at Church and Hayden Sts., move north to Bloor St., west to Yonge St. and south to Wood St. before heading back to Church.

“It’s more of a political march,” Sandilands said.

“They’re saying, ‘Don’t let us be forgotten. We are here. We are part of the community. We are also loud and proud.’”

The Dyke Day Afternoon will follow the march, featuring host Carole Pope with a line-up of performers on the south stage from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.