How many saints, martyrs and human rights activists do we have locked up in Canada right now? More importantly how many of them would we even recognize as a martyr or saint?
Think of Nelson Mandela, the revered President of South Africa who spent 27 years in prison. Being considered a criminal appears to be the price one pays for the rest of us to benefit at a later date - or does it have to be this way? Can we as citizens separate the politicians that demonstrate moral courage from those that just speak political rhetoric?
Does it matter what a politician does in their personal time? You bet it does, it matters a great deal because we want our best, brightest and most capable to be making decisions for us in times of crisis. What we do in Toronto has impact on the rest of Canada and in terms of global impact we matter a great deal. So yes, it all matters very much if our mayor supports us or not.
Right now, Toronto is the best place to live in the world because we are engaged in politics like never before, we know what we don't want in a mayor and the world is paying attention. Now is the time to be extraordinary and Toronto is going to do just that when it becomes host to WorldPride in the summer of 2014. All eyes on us as we foster an international dialogue on LGBT human rights that will bring together some of the most extraordinary leaders of our time, each one of them demonstrating courage, leadership and the willingness to share it with us.
This is the stuff future generations are going to benefit from and while I would rather have a mayor that is championing our cause, I'm grateful that the LGBT community is doing this for itself. That alone should give Toronto some bragging rights.
Hosting WorldPride is our opportunity to demonstrate to the world that, despite our mayor, we will continue to be a major voice in the global LGBT human rights dialogue. Our legacy will be nothing short of a three-day conference boasting an impressive list of presenters from over 55 countries. It will provide Toronto with an unprecedented exchange of ideas plus the opportunity to shift how how the world sees us and how we see ourselves.
Among the list of activists and presenters are Canadian global HIV/AIDS leader Stephen Lewis, Ugandan LBGT activist Frank Mugisha, Kenyan human rights lawyer Justice Monica Mbaru and Venezuelan lawyer and trans activist Tamara Adrián. The breadth and complexity of topics that will be explored will give us all some real perspective on the global struggle for LGBT human rights.
It's been almost a decade since Nelson Mandela said "AIDS is no longer just a disease, it is a human rights issue" and for some his statement indicates just how progressive Mandela was. For others it's a reminder of just how little has changed. There have been many gains over the years but stigma, fear, ignorance and profit margins are growing at epidemic proportions and right here in Canada our own laws governing the criminalization of HIV highlights Canada's limits on human rights.
We are at a very interesting period in time when human rights are now universally accepted as desirable for all yet the application is sloppy at best. But at least we know where we are and where we want to go.
The WorldPride 2014 Human Rights Conference, June 25 — 27, 2014 Toronto, Canada. Full conference schedule will be announced early in 2014.