Attending the Toronto Pride Gala & Award show is rubbing shoulders with Ontario’s elite.  The Premier Dalton McGuinty and Toronto City councilman Kyle Rae both took to the stage to hand out awards.  Of course, when you hold your event at the Carlu, what else do you expect but the best.

TV anchors Andria Case and Omar Sachedina hosted the event… and I was in gala heaven.  I admit it ok… I’m a gala guy!  I liked getting dressed up, sitting down to a great meal and having endless booze poured into my glass.

The night progressed, the awards given out and there were some really touching moments.  One of the highlights was a slide show that began with pictures of gay and lesbians marching through the streets of Toronto as early as 1975.  The slideshow went on to showcase how Pride has spread throughout the world and we saw stills from Pride’s in countries with names I can’t even pronounce!  I was awestruck!   Follow that with a passionate speech from Owen Levy who was present during the Stonewall riots and you’ve got an emotional night!

One of the hands down greatest moments of the night for me came when Pride Toronto’s International Grand Marshall, Victor Moukasa took to the podium.  As a transgendered man, Victor spoke of how moved he was by the slide show and how he didn’t believe he would see a change for the better in Africa in his own lifetime.  He said, listening to Owen Levy and his struggles with Stonewall and now seeing the freedoms that have come since, has given him hope that true change will come to his home country of Uganda and indeed to all of Africa.  I cried a little.

I don’t know who ended up having the highest bid on the silent auction item of the signed Madonna guitar (like she really knows how to play worth a shit), but it was definitely one of the coveted items of the evening.

A night I won’t soon forget!