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Welcome to the WorldPride 2014 forum


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With WorldPride 2012 seemingly an age ago, it's now high time to start looking forward to WorldPride 2014 in Toronto. Just as in 2012 we are expecting a huge international gathering - this time in Toronto - to mark WP 2014. Of course we expect lots of people from all over Canada and the USA to turn out, but also we'll have visitors from South America and Europe (including myself!) and hopefully some from other continents too.

There are three main points to the asexual community's attendance at WorldPride. One is the social side. This is going to be a unique occasion to meet aces from all over the world. Another is asexual visibility and education. We'll be handling out stickers, fliers, talking to the press and doing anything else to make as huge a splash as possible. The third is to help support the event as a whole, as allies to the wider LGBTQ+ community and movement.

Here are the two main events in Toronto to look forward to.

Saturday 28 June 2014: The International Asexual Conference (location not yet fixed, but it will probably be in one of the universities or colleges of Toronto).

Sunday 29 June 2014: Annual Pride march, with hopefully a huge asexy contingent!

Other events of possible interest:


Wednesday 25 June - Friday 27 June: The WorldPride human rights conference. This is run by the Toronto WorldPride committee not by us, but a team of 3 of us (CJ Chasin, Sara Beth Brooks and myself) have submitted a couple of workshop proposals to this. The only snag is the entrance fee for this conference is quite hefty. But don't worry: our conference - the one on the Saturday - will either be free or minimally priced.

Friday 27 June: Trans Pride march - important we get a good showing here considering how many aces are trans* and/or genderqueer.

Saturday 28 June: Annual Dyke march. Potential clash with the WorldPride Asexual Conference but people can leave the latter early if they want to go to the Dyke march.

+ Other more social meets in the surrounding days?? (To be planned!)



The main point is that we need people to come to Toronto and people to help with the planning. You are the ones who will make it happen. The vote to dedicate a forum to the planning was held here. And here is the result. (Thanks to Ith for making it!)

An incomplete list of things that will need doing:

  • Keeping track of who is coming and helping plan flights, visas and accommodation; shared accommodation may well be the best and cheapest option in many cases. This needs to be organized, the sooner the better!
  • Fliers, stickers, flags, balloons - you name it - for the march on the Sunday.
  • Finding a conference venue and planning the format of the Saturday conference.
  • Getting the press interested: inviting journalists to come along to the conference. (I should make it clear by the way that press involvement is strictly optional; only people who want to will appear in the media.)
  • Coordinating with local organisations, e.g. LGBT+ clubs. It's a great opportunity for us to make partnerships.
  • Filming, taking photos.
  • Doing anything else we can to get as much asexy coverage as possible!
  • Planning other social events in the surrounding days. (For example in 2012 we had a big social meet the week before WP - in Birmingham - for people who'd already arrived in the UK.)

Clearly there is far more here than one person can handle, so we will be starting threads on all these things and more, shortly, asking for you all to help!

In the meantime, welcome to the forum for the planning of our attendance at WorldPride 2014 forum and I hope to see you in Toronto next year!

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You have no idea how pumped I am.

If you need ANY* help, I can be available.

& I'm an hour away from Toronto

*though I would be better suited helping with designing pamphlets and photography as I am a professional photographer

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Are those June dates supposed to be 2014, not 2013....?

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Are those June dates supposed to be 2014, not 2013....?

Yup! That's kinda important. Sat 28 June 2013 and Sun 29 June 2013 don't even exist and if they did they'd be in the past! Thanks for the correction.

*edits*

You have no idea how pumped I am.

If you need ANY* help, I can be available.

& I'm an hour away from Toronto

*though I would be better suited helping with designing pamphlets and photography as I am a professional photographer

Great! Yup we'll definitely need your help. Photographers are always invaluable.

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I really really wanna come (If I could get a ride I totally will, maybe i'll talk to me friend). I'm only like an hour away. Maybe I could make some pamphlets or something, to contribute if that would be okay :3

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I really really wanna come (If I could get a ride I totally will, maybe i'll talk to me friend). I'm only like an hour away. Maybe I could make some pamphlets or something, to contribute if that would be okay :3

You can always take Via Rail. That's always my mode of transportation. My parents hate driving to Toronto. :P

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In the thread for those interested in coming, I saw there were a few people from the US (and of course quite a lot from Canada). This applies to everyone no matter the country, but I was thinking it would save people (who are further away) individual air/trainfare if we started driving from West to East, picking people up along the way, and split gas accordingly. People could stay at cheap motels or make it sort of a camping trip, where you stay at nature parks (they're either free or charge a very minimal fee. Somewhere between $10-20 per night. At least the ones I've been to). Five or six people splitting gas and accomodations would more than likely be cheaper than everyone paying their own way. I'm most likely the furthest NW in the US, and driving eight hours a day would make the trip about five and a half days. You could shorten that timespan if each group takes turns driving/sleeping and drives all through the night or drives most of the day and only stops a few hours. If a group took turns driving and sleeping, it would be (from here) slightly less than a two day trip.

Just an idea to bounce around. :)

EDIT:

I was looking at things because I like to do research. The average MPG is 25, and I couldn't find an average gas price for the US as a country, but by state the median price is $3.3. If there's five people, and you want somewhat better quality than dollar menu food, at three meals a day and $10 per meal, you're looking at about $150 for the whole group per day. If you're fine with cheaper food that's not the dollar menu kind, at $3.99 per meal it would be about $59.85 for the group per day. So food costs are pretty flexible. I couldn't find an average motel rate because it seems they factor in the fancier hotels, but $30-50 per night seems like a decent estimate.You could bypass this by not staying in motels/hotels and driving all night or staying at nature parks, which would be $20 at most (as far as I know). You'd need to bring tents and things, though. From here (2,552 miles from Toronto), without calculating motel/nature park costs on the plan of driving all night, with 2 days of $3.99 per meal costs, it would be $456.56 one way. Divided evenly between five people, that would be $91.32 per person one way. The best price for a non-stop flight to Toronto (one way) was a 4 hour flight at $336. The cheapest was $290 (10 hour flight with two stops). This was for Tues, June 24 (if you're planning on going to the conferences before the WorldPride). Prices go up to the cheapest being $345 on Friday, June 27.

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That's a great idea, Wolf.star. We should start a thread with this and other travel ideas.

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My boyfriend and I will definitely be attending. I'm still willing to help with banner design / revamping Vis-Ed materials, just PM me.

I have Adobe InDesign for making pretty pamphlets, etc., and I'm a pretty worthy grammar/editing wiz. ;)

:cake: :cake: :cake: :cake: :cake: :cake:

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I also have some video editing skills and tech, if people have any ideas for a video promo or something we could stick on YouTube.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I live in Mexico, as it is quite far I am not sure I will be able to make it.

But if there is any kind of help that can be given through internet, count on me (I speak french and spanish if it can be useful).

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Count me in too! I live about an hour from Toronto (and can get into the city fairly easily) so I'm happy to help with any planning!

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aww... I'll be in Toronto in August. I can't possibly get there twice in one year. =(

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OMG I want to go so bad! I live in Texas! Would driving be totally crazy? Carpool?!!

I live in Texas too :) Hmmmm. Time does some crazy things in life. Who's to say I'll be in Texas by June of next year, but I believe I'll still be here :) I'd love to go!

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Aisntllecxtual

I would love to go! I have been living in Croatia for the past year but tomorrow I will be leaving for the US - southwest Florida to be specific - to settle. Still will be a long distance to Toronto - cost, and, possibly, flexibility (if I am lucky enough to secure employment) as issues, barrier to attendance. Thinking positively, though, if there is a will there will be a way.

Whether I can attend or not, I'd be interested in reaching out to the press to produce the highest profile possible, to interest/engage the Third Estate for unprecedented coverage!

P.S. I came a hair's distance away from attending the 2012 London gathering, but because I was given the wrong train schedule by a rail employee, I missed my flight from Zagreb to London - first time I lost money in missing a flight, and I had free accommodation arranged: I felt terrible in missing such an opportunity to participate. :( Avenging past failure, 2014 here I come?! I ardently hope so!

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*blinks*

Chozo?! Havent see you in forever!

(ok sorry off topic but i had to say hi!))

Well you could always plan to meet up in Toronto; then it'd be on-topic! :D

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Just floating this out there... The Tuesday after is Canada Day, and there will be the standard fireworks and everything going off in the city, so if you are there for pride, why not stay a couple more days and join in on Canada Day. And then the American visitors can go back and blow up more stuff for Independence Day.

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OMG I want to go so bad! I live in Texas! Would driving be totally crazy? Carpool?!!

There's a carpool thread in the World Pride section. :)

Just floating this out there... The Tuesday after is Canada Day, and there will be the standard fireworks and everything going off in the city, so if you are there for pride, why not stay a couple more days and join in on Canada Day. And then the American visitors can go back and blow up more stuff for Independence Day.

hehe, that sounds like fun! I'm sure the trouble with that plan would mostly be the couple extra days' expenses in food and shelter and missed work, though.

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Just floating this out there... The Tuesday after is Canada Day, and there will be the standard fireworks and everything going off in the city, so if you are there for pride, why not stay a couple more days and join in on Canada Day. And then the American visitors can go back and blow up more stuff for Independence Day.

The thing is, though, it would cost more to stick around for the event. Also, those who want to celebrate Independence Day in the US would have to rush back and get ready for that as well.

Not forgetting the typical "missed days at work" and what have you.

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Just floating this out there... The Tuesday after is Canada Day, and there will be the standard fireworks and everything going off in the city, so if you are there for pride, why not stay a couple more days and join in on Canada Day. And then the American visitors can go back and blow up more stuff for Independence Day.

The thing is, though, it would cost more to stick around for the event. Also, those who want to celebrate Independence Day in the US would have to rush back and get ready for that as well.

Not forgetting the typical "missed days at work" and what have you.

That being said we can certainly have a meet for it, for those who are still around. I almost certainly will still be there. My understanding is it's a public holiday in Canada. But do people normally celebrate it with family and such? That may make an AVEN meet less likely...

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The Evil Cashew

Canada celebrations depends on the family. I have friends who do bbq's and then all go to fireworks together or go to the festivals or activities or parades or what have you. I myself. sit around like any other day and if the weather is nice i wander out to watch the booming and banging.

So aven meets on canada would be dependent on the person.

Also michaeld, I am hoping to do some aven meeting upings if possible.. however I do not want to go to pride. Not that i dont support it.. its just I don't like being in large.. groups like that. Toronto is too big for me and now your adding even MORE people... (there is also work reasons too) I was thinking of poking my nose that way after pride but we will see how it goes.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I'm probably going to stay as far as possible away from Toronto during this whole mess. I don't really like pride (or most parades in general) and although I live close, I just don't see the point in going to an overly crowded place to just stand around. If someone wants to organize an Ace event I might be interested in going though.

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So I'm going to be in/around Ann Arbor, Michigan (if everything goes to plan >.>) in June, so Toronto wouldn't be that much further. I am going to put myself down as a hesitant yes. Also, if anyone would be interested in carpooling from Michigan, that would be beautiful.

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On the World Pride Toronto website it says that it will be and "international celebration incorporating activism, education, and the history and culture of global LGBTTIQQ2SA communities," defining LGBTTIQQ2SA as: "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer/Questioning, 2 Spirited, Allies"....

Guess we're not invited guys.... :(

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