CALGARY—Canadian politicians, accustomed to showing up at Pride parades every summer to wave, smile and make people of all sexual persuasions equally uncomfortable by running stupidly with spray guns run the risk of becoming complacent, warn LGBT advocates.
“As LGBT rights have increased over the years, so too have the expectations for displays of chicanery and false liberalism,” said Gus O’Sullivan, a Calgary LGBT spokesman.
“A few years ago – a Thomas Mulcair, a Naheed Nenshi could show up in a Rainbow sash, suck on a lollipop for a few minutes, and we’d hail them as civil rights heroes.”
“Not anymore,” he says.
“Alliterative corporate spin-off events have stretched Pride celebrations from a weekend frolic into a week-long event.
“Every night there’s something different and we’d like to see elected officials join in. Sapphic Sundays…. Tranny Thursdays…. Wang Wednesdays…. to name a few.”
Federal Liberal leader Justin Trudeau’s depiction of a young slender hairless ectomorph mesmerized audiences during “Twink Tuesday” festivities in Toronto last month. Trudeau’s performance not only scored him key political points—according to O’Sullivan—it was a triumph of “realism and believability”.
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, anxious to get in on the action, proved less successful, O’Sullivan said.
“The water wings were a nice touch, but he seemed to misunderstand the spirit of the spray gun motif when he just started walking up and peeing on people.”