My Two (almost) Favorite Topics: Again

Gays and the Gardai - or Tronna's rebutylhydrated version of an  'Ulster constabulary' - (no feckin' pl'eece services in Hogtown) and the annual paean to promiscuity - the Gay Pride parades.

Was a time in 'Toronto the good' when the one would regularly  rough-up gatherings of the other.  Hallowe'en was a good night to catch somebody 'in flagrante delicto', dressed-up a like a bombshell, and if you couldn't throw the book at em for some kind of turpitude , at least you could make sure they 'tripped' over their crinolines.  Toronto gays still commemorate the 'bathhouse raids' and the heavy-handed police 'presents' that turned the tide on outright harassment.

Over the years the Toronto police have come a long, long way. From the Chief participating in the parade a few years back, when the Mayor wouldn't,  to the LGBTSMFP members of Toronto's finest prancing and capering down Church Street, as their granddaddies might have done  behind King Billy's horse in  Julys of yesteryear. Not only prancing and capering - but smooching, holding hands and - unless it was another police force - popping the question (diamond and all) to that significant same-gendered  other,  in front of an admiring crowd.  Wonder if they would qualify for a 'police wedding'  like the RCMP jobbie - with 'orses,  and  the riot baton, honour-guard salute?

The gay thing is, again, as much traditionally 'proud'  as it has been ,  an exposee of pulsating,  ambidextrousity,  pulchritude, kitsch and too much make-up  - only now extending to a whole week of 'celebrating'.  It will be interesting to see where this goes when more 'mainstream ' gays get involved with 'their families'. I imagine that, even for the cause, there are some things their offspring shouldn't be seeing.  And what happens as time goes by and age takes it's toll?  The octogenarian gays might need their own less-exciting celebration, they would be more frightening in gold lame short-shorts  than a legion colour party - much like the gradually-changing veterans day parades that once graced the CNE on Warrior's Day -  today the handful of wheelchair-bound stalwarts and the cadet corps to push them.   Mind you,  there are a couple of newer generations of peacekeepers - now carrying the torch of sacrifice - while the current lot of real combat vets don't want much to do with the BIG show.

It was one of those growing number of 'mainstream groups' that caused the uproar and offended Toronto's finest,  at this year's gala.

Black Lives Matter 'activists' participated in this years' doings to publicize their 'agenda', which has something to do with the undiminished frequency with which some of Toronto's finest deal with some 'malefactors' - usually black or psychologically-troubled ones - and  with what used to be called 'extreme prejudice'.  The Toronto force has had a couple of 'bad incidents' this year where somebody videoed what looked, to the untrained eye - and, in one cause, a supposedly unbiased court - for all the world like unwarranted overreactions in which citizens found themselves shot dead by police.   Those Black Activists actually brought the Pride parade to a standstill briefly on a couple of marching days and, in the last instant, had the organizers sign a commitment to remove the 'official' police presence from the parade. No more float from the Metro cops - and that hurt.

 Not the gay cops marching, no, the pain was felt by the 'Nellies;' in the Police Union who took it all to heart and let the media know about them 'shocks' and 'dismays' - hurt feelings and all. That some guttersnipers could rise up and bust a perfectly good community-building exercise, was just almost as much as seeing a member get sentenced to a term in jail rather than just being allowed to retire to an early pension.  But such, as some people say,  is life.

Now the ple'ece SERVICE (catch the change?)  are demanding an apology - or two.  

Somebody should be asking,  "For what?"

I'm pretty sure the gay community could get along very well without 'Jock' ( my daddy was pl'eece chief so this is genetic, eh?) McCormick  and the  cops who 'hang out' at HQ.  Maybe if they hadn't 'tapped the goodness' out of  all that extra funding they were given to stop  the gun violence - which is back again - in spades - annual budget increases and all - they might have more respect, or pride.

They still have  the same old bunker mentality. Somebody IS out to get them.

 The Black Lives Matter - 'activists'.