As I snapped away with my digital camera, I was amazed at just how much advertising featured in the event. On the way into the barricaded area, people were handing out men's body spray. Floats included product advertisements like vodka, beer, sunglasses, etc. Many groups in the parade handed out not only condoms, a product that makes some sense in this context given lifestyle issues in a marginalized community, but also hair products, perfumes and fragrances, etc. Even subway billboards, only in subway stations near the parade, mind you, featured homosexual couples.

The idea behind all this commercialism seems to be that there is a large new market to exploit. Who cares if equality or justice is achieved? If we (I'm speaking from the point of view of commercial interest, and political, for that matter) allow these people the freedom to express themselves and share certain rights, we stand to profit from a large new market. The last line of an article in today's Star perhaps sums it up: "The event brings in an estimated $80 million to the local economy."

Aside from the influx of commercial elements, I also noticed more other causes, not necessarily related, attempting to share the platform, such as medicinal marijuana (maybe there's a link to AIDS, I'm not sure--it certainly wasn't explicitly linked) and environmental issues. I'm not sure how to feel about other causes sharing the platform. Maybe it's a good thing. But it could also once again point to a loss of energy and focus.

We seem to have come a long way from the days of Stonewall, the historical backdrop to the parade. But all is not well. The urgency is gone and the void is rapidly being filled by consumerism. We began with Stonewall and have ended up with billboards.

To learn more about milestones in the struggle for gay rights, see The American Gay Rights Movement: a Timeline, A Brief History of Gay Rights, and Same Sex Rights: Canada Timeline.