The 2008 Pride Parade. Creative Commons photo by Chromewaves.

You’ve probably noticed by now, unless you’ve been hiding under a rock or just standing endlessly in line to offload your garbage, that Pride is in full swing.

I have to admit I find Toronto Pride kind of overwhelming. This is largely because I come from Scotland, where Pride is shared by two cities who take turns hosting the march, and the whole thing lasts an afternoon instead of 10 days.

Scotland’s march also tends to attract at least one dude with a sandwich board proclaiming that gay people are going to hell. Were that guy to show up in Toronto on Pride Weekend I’m not sure anyone would notice him in the crowd, or at least not without his shirt off. Toronto in late June is like Disneyland for gay people.

It’s easy to feel that an event this large has lost its political edge—particularly when you’re marching past buff guys in TD Speedos and paying $60 cover for a Saturday night party. If that’s not a sign that gay people are entering the social elite, I don’t know what is.

But a million people taking over the centre of the city over the course of a weekend still makes a political statement: namely, that there are enough of us to get 100,000 people out on Yonge Street without even exhausting our supply of queers. That’s a lot of people—enough for a small but fabulous army.

It’s easy to forget that in some people’s eyes, everything queer people do visibly and in public is political. Just last week a lesbian couple were harassed by security for kissing at the Air Canada Centre.

So, even though the live music isn’t nearly as good as last year (The Hidden Cameras! Free! That was when I decided Toronto was the best city on earth) and even though nobody wants to field sales pitches about why they should switch banks while marching for gay rights, the core of Pride is still what it always was, and it’s still just as important.

Even if you skip the after-parties and the overwhelming 10-day schedule of events, there are still plenty of reasons to grab some sunscreen, load up your water guns, and hit the streets.

Cate Simpson is a freelance journalist and the web editor for Shameless magazine. She lives in Toronto.

Seeing Toronto-based art-folk band The Hidden Cameras perform is a lot like having sex. You never forget your first time. The band’s shows include tighty-whitey clad go-go dancers, unconventional performance venues (churches, porn theatres) and a revolving roster of members whose numbers rival the Polyphonic Spree. And while it’s hard to imagine an album better than their critically acclaimed debut, The Smell of Our Own, with its much-hyped “gay folk church music” sound, Mississauga Goddam is. The album features more of the indie-folk-poetic-pop fans of the debut album fell in love with, and frontman Joel Gibb has returned with more cheeky, sunny songs about sexuality, spirituality, oh, and enemas. You could be having your worst day ever and this album would soon lift your spirits.

Stirling, Northern Light (popguru)

I was lucky enough to catch Toronto-based quartet Stirling’s performance at this year’s NXNE festival. There was definitely a buzz about the band—and there should be. With their Brit-pop influenced sound, Stirling should get some of those column inches NME keeps devoting to the same old Canadian bands. With their debut album, Northern Light, Stirling continues to build on the swirling atmospheric sound found on their two previous EPs, The View From Here and The Idea and The Deed. Standout tracks like “The Art of Burning Bridges” and “Turn up the Dark” perfectly highlight frontman Matt Booi’s expressive voice and the band’s unique melodic sound.

CBC Radio 3 Sessions Vol. 1 (CBC Records)

I have to confess that I’m addicted to all things CBC Radio, so I was happy to have my habit fed with this compilation featuring some of the best CBC Radio 3 sessions from the past few years. The Can-con compilation is like a who’s who mixed-tape of Canadian indie rock royalty. It starts strong with the guitar rock of Sloan’s 1999 song “Losing California” and ends with the folkie twang of Oh Susanna’s “King’s Road.” In between, there’s plenty of good ground covered, including great tracks from the likes of The New Pornographers, Kid Koala, John K. Samson, Buck 65 and Hot Hot Heat.