Talking to Pride’s Grand Marshall El-Farouk Khaki
Written by Adam A. Donaldson
Saturday, 27 June 2009 16:03
But right now, El-Farouk Khaki is letting his geek flag fly.
“I haven’t read Batman in years, but I picked of Battle of the Cowl,” he says on the phone Wednesday afternoon, taking a break from Pride Festivities. His most recent acquisitions are piled up on the coffee table waiting for a spare moment to be read, much to the annoyance of his partner, musician Troy Jackson.
But coming back to the topic of Pride, Khaki was surprised by his election, and after his brush with federal politics, he continues to take nothing for granted and is pleased that so many involved in the Pride organization would give him the honour.
“What happens is people are nominated,” says Khaki, who received a Pride Week award in 2006 for promoting queer Muslim awareness through Salaam. “The Grand Marshall is nominated and elected as is the honoured group and the honoured dyke at the Pride AGM. So somebody nominated me, there were two other nominees and I was selected.”
The duties of the Grand Marshall is generally to make himself/herself/their self visible during the Pride Week festivities. So far this week, Khaki’s taken part in a panel, went to a gala and accepted an award as this year’s Grand Marshall. Then there’s getting the best seat in the parade on Sunday. “I’m not sure if it’s the best chair,” he says. “When you’re in the parade, you don’t necessarily get to see the parade. But it is a good seat, and I’m not complaining about it. It’s an honour.”
The theme for this year’s Pride is “Can’t Stop Won’t Stop.” Voted on by the Pride members at the AGM, the theme reflects a shifting of the debate concerning gay rights into a social justice and civil rights movement. As well, it’s symbolic of the fact that it’s the 40th anniversary of both the decriminalization of homosexuality in Canada and the Stone Wall Riots in New York, which is often considered the start of the gay rights movement in the US.
“I think in that context ‘Can’t Stop Won’t Stop’ is very appropriate as we move forward to a more just and accessible society for everybody,” he adds.
Khaki started attending Pride in 1991, back when it gathered a mere 50,000 to 1000,000 people. Now Pride expects 1.5 million revellers in the city of Toronto. “Certainly when you go to Pride events now you’ll find politicians of all political stripes and spectrums,” says Khaki of the nearly 20 year difference. He goes on to say that the expansion of Pride to go beyond gays and lesbians to all who identify under LGBTTTIQQ is another positive change over the years, including this year’s first ever Trans March.
Of course, limiting a conversation with Khaki about how much fun Pride is and not availing one’s self of his insight on Queer issues would be a missed opportunity. Indeed, Khaki has been referenced on CTV, CBC and in The Toronto Star for his expertise on issues facing Canada’s Queer community, especially in regards to his advocacy for gay Muslims. Khaki says that religious views of homosexuality in Islam are similar to right wing Christian views, but he works in the progressive Muslim community, which has become increasingly open about gender issues and sexuality since 9/11.
“To some degree it is easier in Canada [for Muslims to identify as Queer], but I have no empirical premise or basis for saying that,” he explains. “If you look at larger Canadian society, we’ve gone, in less than 40 years, from being criminalized to having equal marriage. It’s not been an easy struggle to get there, and there have been many injustices along the way, but that’s remarkable progress.”
Still, there is quite a way to go, according to Khaki. “I think the whole issue around gender identity and protection, and medical and social services for trans people” are a couple of areas needing work, he says. Exacerbating that struggle is the fact that there’s no longer funding for a Charter challenge program anymore, with the exception of issues regarding language. But that’s not all, Khaki explains. “Identified Queer kids have 12 times the suicide rate than non-identified teenagers that commit suicide. That’s phenomenal. That tells us that while some of the legal impediments may have been removed, there continues to be societal violence; psychological as well as physical.”
Khaki points to the paradoxical fact that gay bashings tend to go up during the annual celebration of all things gay in Toronto. It is proof to Khaki that while laws have changed to suit the times, there’s still a lot of work to do culturally. “I really want us to move forward to a truly inclusive and accepting society, and we need to be able to have programs and mechanisms that address social issues,” he says. “Yeah, things are better, but are things okay? No.”
Wrapping up on a personal and positive note, Khaki says that he has a number of great, little memories of Prides past, like the first time Salaam had a float in 2003. He’s also looking forward to making a few more good memories in the present. “This year I have a float again and I have a DJ and I have singers. One of my singers is actually my partner, who’s just come out with his CD.”
Look for El-Farouk Khaki, his partner Troy Jackson and the rest of the city’s colourful cast of characters from the Queer community when the Pride Parade kicks off at 2 pm Sunday at the corner of Church and Bloor before heading down Yonge Street to Gerrard. If you can’t make it down to the parade route, you can watch it live on CP24.
