CBC Live - TV & Film - My Day as Dorothy: Marching in the Pride Parade for Over the Rainbow

My Day as Dorothy: Marching in the Pride Parade for Over the Rainbow

July 4, 2012 By Rose Paton

Over the Rainbow Interactive Producer Rose Paton goes Dorothy for the day at the 2012 Toronto Pride Parade.

You know when people say their job is "a bit of this and a bit of that"? I'm an Interactive Producer for CBC Television and I'm seriously considering getting that printed on my business card. My job includes everything from social media, photography, design, filming, directing, editing, producing, writing, blogging... and on Sunday, walking the annual Toronto Pride Parade with 40 other Dorothys.

CBC is embracing social media, so when we decided that Over the Rainbow would feature in the Pride Parade this year, it naturally meant we'd be live-tweeting from the float. And the 'we' in that sentence refers to me... the newly arrived Torontonian whose only previous exposure to Pride Parade was on an episode of Being Erica.

So on Sunday I naively braided my hair, donned my gingham and headed downtown - thinking I was going to quite happily skip down the street in a frock, take a few pics, tweet a bit, and be home in time for tea.

The whole experience felt like being sucked into a tornado and waking up in the Land of Oz.

Everywhere I looked were the most amazing floats, costumes and people - so many people! But by far, the most infectious thing were the smiles. Everyone was so happy, so proud (I know that's an obvious thing to say, but it's true) and supportive.

All the Dorothys (myself included) were pretty nervous in the marshaling area. But the moment our float got going and we heard the screams from the crowd, we relaxed and had a great time. We waved, we smiled, we handed out tattoos, and we celebrated Pride. In between I was tweeting updates and photos from @cbcrainbow and trying to get a few in-focus, PG13 shots for the website.

Kudos to everyone who marched, who braved the crowds to watch, and of course to our stunning Dorothys.

It was so great to be a part of this movement and to share it with the millions of people lined up and down Yonge street - the ones on balconies, on rooftops, even the guy with the water pistol who got me right in the ear.

One of the Over the Rainbow top 20 finalists, Malindi Ayienga sums it up quite beautifully here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7DI0dml-dU&feature=youtu.be

There's no place like Pride.