The Via Rail float chugs down Yonge Street. Yonge Street is filled with rainbows and outrageous costumes. The Thai Socity of Ontario's sparkle wows the judges. Rex hands out So You Think You Can Dance headbands to lucky members of the crowd. Sparkly beads tossed from the dance-themed CTV float decorate the crowd. The judges make their final decisions at the rainbow judging table.

'Idol' and 'Dance' and hundreds of feather boas

Updated Thu. Sep. 4 2008 12:58 PM ET

Lindsay Zier-Vogel, CTV.ca

Toronto's 28th annual Gay Pride Parade kicked off with a colourful bang as rainbowed floats, stilt-walkers and marching bands filled Yonge Street. The clouds parted just in time for the floats and the sun shone down on the crowd of thousands.

Where some floats relied on rainbow balloons, feather boas and streamers, others carried ornately costumed drag queens and barely-dressed dancers showing off their hottest moves.

The parade wound its way from Bloor Street East, south on Yonge Street and then east to Church Street. Most floats tossed beads into the crowd but, much to the delight of sweltering spectators, the marching Toronto fire fighters blasted the crowd with the float's water hose.

So You Think You Can Judge?

Behind the judging table, So You Think You Can Dance Canada's own special guest judge, Rex Harrington sits with Canadian Idol judge, Jake Gold.

"I ran into Jake at the Much Music Video Awards when we were walking the red carpet," Harrington said. "He said it's a lot of fun." And with that, Harrington joined Gold at the rainbow umbrella-ed judging podium.

"I can start judging," Harrington laughs, "A little practice in there [before the show airs]."

"I think it's a lot of fun when people get involved and find a theme than just float out a truck," Harrington says, after giving out So You Think You Can Dance Canada sweatbands to the lucky crowd. "We're looking for fabulousness," he adds.

So how does his float-judging compare to his judging for the fall show? "[For both], I'm going to be looking for performance value. There's so many people nowadays that can dance and a lot of technicians...there's a lot of people who can do a lot of steps and tricks but you want to see someone who can give it to the audience."

Proud of Pride

"I remember once when I was in my late twenties, I put on my little blue Lycra shorts and just walked down [Yonge], holding a partner's hand," Harrington reminisces about one of his first Pride parades. "There are kids now just out of their teens who have no problem walking anywhere holding hands and being open...their pride is everyday and it's amazing."

The Righteously Outrageous Twirling Corps marches past the judging table with their choreographed twirling flag routine to Gloria Estefan's ever-catchy "Turn The Beat Around".

Both Harrington and Gold are impressed, but are still fans of the National Gay Pilots Association' float (complete with a gold inflatable airplane) and also love the gold and sparkly Thai Society of Ontario. "Glitter's always good at Pride," Gold says.

"We have very high standards," Gold says and they jokingly banter about the supremacy of their respective shows.

The roots and wings of Pride

Between the pounding techno of the dance-themed CTV float and the intricately choreographed We Love Japan float, this year's parade took on social significance as the Canadian Armed Forces took part in the procession for the first time ever.

"There's a generation that fought for [gay] rights and for people to be able to express [themselves] and I hope [we can all] remember what [Pride]'s all about to begin with," Harrington says.

"It's going to be a yes for me..."

"We're definitely supporting the community floats," Gold says before the judges sit down to make their final verdict.

And out of 145 floats, Harrington, Gold and the panel of judges deem the We Love Japan float to have had the best choreography and the best float as the Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto. Other award winners in the float category include:

• Best Art Direction: National Gay Pilots
• Best Costume Design: Thai Society of Ontario
• Best Musical/Sound Arrangement: Black Coalition for AIDS Prevention
• Best Embodiment of the LGBTTIQQ2S Community: The 519 Church Street Community Centre

A place for Pride

Harrington believes there will always be a place for Pride. "It's [fantastic] to keep reminding people that you can have a Santa Claus parade and a Pride parade and it's all good."

"The diversity in this city is what makes Toronto so great."

 

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