I finally step out of my ‘box’ and try something radical with my hair… but now what?

Nothing refreshes more than a brand new look. And what better way to reinvent yourself than with a haircut. During my visit to Vancouver I decided it would be fun to get my haircut each time I travel to a city. That way I would get the flavour of the city and bring back a cool memory.

While watching the Pride parade snake it’s way around Vancouver’s West End, a group of rocker chicks on bikes appeared in the crowd. As they made their way past me one of them rode up to me and handed me a pin. On the pin was a pair of scissors and written across it was Chop Shop Hair.

Back at the hotel I jump online to check out the site.  The girl handing me the pin was a sign!  This was the place I HAD to go to get my hair did. And that’s just what I did!

Today I walked my wonderful and talented fiance Shaun Proulx (someone’s getting lucky tonight!), over to the Pride Toronto press conference held in front of their offices on Dundonald.  In my mind I have pictured a press conference something like out of The Young & The Restless where there is 1 camera, 1 person with a microphone and maybe 1 extra to try to fill out the scene.

No so.

OMG.  As we approached the Pride headquarters we saw police vehicules parked, police men and women patrolling the streets, news vans, cameras and a throng of protesters across the street from the Pride offices.

And to think, I was just going to drop Shaun off and go to the gym… haha, no way Jose!  I was stickin’ around to watch the inevitable fireworks.

I’m not in the thick of the drama, and I am not going to pretend to know all the ins and outs of the situation, but I CAN report on what I saw with my own two eyes.

The ‘protesters’ that showed up were there with the single intention of heckling the press conference.  Chanting things like “We won’t run, we won’t hide.  Politics is what makes Pride!” and “Resign!” to Pride Toronto’s executive director, Tracey Sandilands and “Shame, shame!!”  I guess they knew the news was not what they wanted to hear because they had the chants ready! (why Pride Toronto decided to hold a press conference outside in heckling distance of crowds of displeased people, I might never understand)

Here is my beef with the entire situation.  How can anything be heard, discussed, understood and agreed upon if one side DOES NOT LISTEN TO THE OTHER SIDE.  I felt like I was watching the government.  Where people yell over each other, cut each other off and NO ONE is listening to ANYONE ELSE!

What’s the point?

I’m sure there was a lot of back and forth between the groups in the preceding weeks, but I have too much CLASS, yeah I said it, CLASS, to yell and heckle something I oppose.  Let’s talk about this like adults and come to a conclusion, but that’s me.

All that being said, Shaun stayed composed among the yelling and hate spewing and I was very proud of him.

And I am proud that we are nit picking and perfecting our state of evolvement.  Think for a second the difference of debating over extremely heated topics like the one mentioned above and it’s inclusion in Pride and the fact that many countries DO NOT EVEN CELEBRATE PRIDE, because they do not have the chance to.

We are lucky.

Pics keep popping up everywhere, like this one from the Pride parade that I found on Macleans.ca

If you had asked me what my perfect Pride would consist of, never would I have been able to come up with a scenario that would come close the the perfect Pride weekend I just had!

It was the right combo of work and play.  First off the weather was flawless Saturday afternoon on the corner of Church & Wellesley.

Then what to my wondering eye should appear, but Toronto’s FIRST Trans March!  Hundreds strong they march down Church St. to thunderous applause.  (Trans is the new Gay!)

After a butt load of beer and a good night rest, I was ready to host The Pride & Remembrance Run.  Held ever year during Pride this year the beneficiaries were Casey House & Black Cap.

Which was a huge success!! 

Time to get ready to host the Saturday night main stage with Deborah Cox… did you think I wouldn’t have a ‘look’?

The next day started with rain, but exactly at 2pm, when the parade started, the sky cleared (that’s cuz God loves his gays).   One mother along the parade route held a sign I loved.  Her feelings of devotion and love for her son surpassed all others!   Perched on the back of the VW convertible we led the PROUD FM float which followed behind with a rainbow arc of coloured ballons down Yonge St. and passed 1 million+ onlookers!

Of course, the best part of the weekend, was that I got to spend it with Shaun!

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!

As the temperature goes up and the days count down, you can literally feel the excitement building in the air.  Walking down the street, new faces and foreign tongues meet your ears (if you’re lucky) and rainbow flags adorn every store window.  The parade, the dyke march,  the parties, the stages, the tents… where do I fit in?  Where do I begin? 

As a porn star the answer was easy, hop on a float, strip down to a pair of sequined hot pants, drop an E and GO!

But this year as my alter ego self, and on-air at the world’s first and only commercial gay & lesbian radio station as their Mid-day Host, I’m treading on new territory here people.  I’ve got hosting gigs to do, big hosting gigs.

How did I get here?  Last year at this time I was still a newbie to PROUD FM (proudfm.com).  I was just squeaking out a weekly Saturday afternoon show.  Polishing my technique and happy to be on air.  

Now?  I’m hosting the Saturday night Wellesley stage introducing none other than Deborah Cox!!  Usually when I’m on stage in front of that many people, I’m stripping.  This time, I have to use my words.  What do you say to a crowd of hundreds as they wait impatiently for the dance diva to take the stage?

God, I can’t count the number of dance floors I’ve torn up in a cracked out frenzy, arms in the air, sweat pouring down my naked back to the wailing voice of Ms. Cox.

Should I back down from this new challenge?  Should I step aside and let someone more experienced take over? Do I measure me by what they think?

ABSOLUTELY NOT!

HAPPY PRIDE EVERYONE!!!

What happens when the weather is beautiful, you invite your friends over to your place and 360 Vodka sponsors your party by supplying the booze? Answer: My Pre Pride Party!

What party would be complete without music, a freezer full of Vodka, good friends… and a drunk dog!  I take my eyes off of Ella for one minute and catch her downing someone’s Vodka martini.  Needless to say she does NOT have a tolerance for booze.  The rest of the party the poor girl was bumping into walls, woobling around, knocking into tables and breaking vases!

Yes, I even held her ears back as she puked!  

With her reddish blond cocker spaniel hair and her drunken out-of-control party girl attitude… I would’ve sworn Lindsay Lohan was there.