All too soon the hectic rush of the The festive holiday season with travel and relatives will be upon us, so autumn more than any other time, affords me the luxury of kicking back in an Adirondack chair, switching from an ice cold bevy to a robust glass of red, and basking in another year that has just whirled by. Canada’s stunning fall foliage is renowned the world over, drawing tourists far and wide to enjoy our harvest season. I plan on soaking in the glory of the weather and multi-coloured leaves at more than a few feasts with family and friends.

So however you plan on spending the autumn, I wish you the blessing of good food, soothing drinks and comforting company.

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Originally coined by the Romans, according to Wikipedia, it was the hottest time of the year when “the Sea boiled, the Wine turned sour, Dogs grew mad, and all other creatures became languid; causing to man, among other diseases, burning fevers, hysterics, and phrensies [the archaic spelling for frenzies].” (Brady’s Clavis Calendaria, 1813). It was so named not because of animals and people gone mad however, but because Sirius–the Dog Star–was the brightest in the sky this time of year.

While we are not having the most sultry of summers, for which I am grateful, August always seems a bit melancholy to me, marking the end of vacation and a return to school. Never a pleasant thought. WorldPride is long over for us here in Toronto, but Montréal’s is set to kick off on the 11th of this month and Ottawa’s follows immediately after on the 15th, so there are still some festive celebrations to enjoy before the cool evenings usher in the autumn and harvest time. I saw a poster for the CNE on a streetcar that drove by yesterday–a sure sign that summer is giving us her final flourish.

It’s been quite the year–my busiest in a long time–one spent between juggling work and quality time with family and friends sipping G&T and sharing in great company and stimulating conversation.

How’s yours been? Did you get up to anything exciting, go somewhere exotic, or just spend it hanging out in the city? Having such easy access to Toronto Island ensures a quick mini-vacation just for the day. I love the sound of the waves on the beach, the gorgeous view of the city.

What have been your most memorable moments this season?

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What a party it was!

We had LGBTQ+ activists, parade participants and partiers from every corner of the world. It was a literary, artistic, cultural, entertainment and human rights extravaganza!

When I attended the WorldPride press preview on Friday June 20th, I had no idea of the scope of events planned. Sure I’d edited the interviews and read over the line-up of entertainment while putting together our issue of summerplay!, but the moment I walked out into Nathan Phillips Square for the Official Opening Ceremonies, the magnitude of Toronto hosting the world finally sunk in. When Deb Pearce took to the stage as the evening’s hostess, it hit me like a Super Soaker to the face: the WORLD was here, in our fabulous city and we were going to show them a good time they wouldn’t soon forget.

And show them we did.

There were over 560 official events–the official WorldPride Guide was as thick as one of our PPM magazine issues. That alone kept people busy from dawn until well past the extended last call every night of the 10 days of partying. There were so many things to experience and people to encounter, but I think one of my favourite moments was meeting Ugandan LGBTI activist Richard Lusimbo. It was surreal when I was introduced to him in person by my writer, Jeffrey Luscombe; I’m sure it was even more surreal for Richard to have made it to Toronto to enjoy our out-and-proud jubilation. If you haven’t read it yet, be sure you take a moment to scroll to the end of our WorldPink feature “WorldPride 2014 Part 3: LGBTQ+ Rights Around the World and read our interview with him. It really gives you new eyes to reflect on how blessed we are with our Pride celebrations.

I spent most of my Pride surrounded by close friends and family. We enjoyed the parade, danced each night until the music stopped, and immersed ourselves in a sea of people from all walks of life, thoroughly enjoying themselves. Even when we were hit with the deluge Sunday evening–the first time I’ve ever experienced that much rain during a Pride celebration–people were laughing and having a wonderful time. To have it all capped off by that gorgeous double rainbow surrounding the downtown in a glimmering dome of love, really seemed to say we are blessed. What more of a sign could you expect from the powers above that love is the answer?

So on that note, let me sign off with an unofficial tribute to my blog by Donna Summer.

Enjoy the rest of this fabulous season!

Much love,

Jeff Harrison

Editor-in-Chief

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Did you know that Pride is considered one of the Seven Deadly Sins? According to some religious texts it is the deadliest of sins. It is represented by the peacock, an animal considered by most to be vain.

I find this most intriguing.

Those of us who have looked long and hard into the mirror have faced down our inner demons and the judgement of those around us who have challenged us for being different. Like a bird on fire we have “come out” much like the phoenix. If one is to look at the maligned peacock from the spiritual sense–and fire is the element of spirit–one gets a very different perspective:

“You are a person who always comes from a place of honor and integrity. You stand up for your beliefs and you live by them. You have a tendency towards flamboyance at times and enjoy showing your true colors to all those around you. You are completely trustworthy, self-confident and are good at discerning the truth in all matters. You are always willing to walk your talk. You revel in being the center of attention. Those with this totem often gain recognition for their talents and have the potential to be prominent leaders in their chosen field.” (spirit-animals.com/peacock)

Seems that the vaunted sin of Pride turned inside out represents our LGBTQ+ community perfectly. Wouldn’t you agree that one of the many things we’ve become so very good at is reclaiming hurtful labels and reforging them into words of power filled with love? Collectively, we are the flamboyant bird condemned by others as sinful and vain, gloriously reborn through the reforging of our spirits through the fires of bullying, discrimination and hate, into the essence of fierce self-love and acceptance.

Think about that as you wave your rainbow flag excitedly and welcome the world for Pride.

Have a fantastic celebration!

Much love,

Jeff Harrison

Editor-in-Chief of PinkPlayMags

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