TORONTO - Prime Minister Stephen Harper -- at least a giant papier mache and styrofoam head of him -- was the star attraction at a G20 protest in downtown Toronto.

Dozens of gay and lesbian rights activists used music and street theatre on Tuesday in what one demonstrator called "a carnival of resistance."

The loud and colourful protest was in sharp contrast to the summit security zone just blocks away where streets were virtually deserted ahead of the weekend gathering of world leaders.

Chanting "We're queer, we're fabulous, we're against the G20," and "My gender is not illegal," marchers protested the erosion of gay, lesbian, transgender and women's rights.

People in pink feather boas, colourful leis, evening dresses, blue hair -- even a couple of penguin heads -- bobbed along Queen Street to the sound of banging drums.

They started near the Eaton Centre and marched to the South African War memorial on University Avenue, halting westbound traffic as tourists on a sightseeing bus craned their necks to catch a glimpse.

Women danced around and shook their finger at "Harper", who was wearing a grey-pinstriped jacket, black shorts, pink bikini top, fishnet stockings and black studded high heels.

They sang a song called "Harper Don't Preach" to the tune of the Madonna hit "Papa Don't Preach."

"Harper, we are angry and upset. We want choice for women everywhere. And you should know by now. That we don't mean maybe," the song began.

"Harper, don't try to dictate what's right and wrong. And where the hell has all the funding gone? Women are experts and we know what we're saying."

The song took aim at Harper's maternal health initiative, which doesn't include abortion, that will be presented at G8 summit Friday in Huntsville, Ont.

The song also criticizes Conservative government funding cuts to women's groups.

Jen Plyler-Danch, with the ad-hoc women's group Gender Justice For All, said the giant head wasn't heavy but was hot to wear.

"We drew straws for who was going to play Stephen Harper because we really believe his policies are killing women all over the world," she said.

Anna Willats, another member of the group, said it was an opportunity to weigh in on what decisions G8 and G20 leaders, including Harper, are making.

"We want him to stop the attacks on women's equality," said Willats, who was wearing a black leather cap, pink boa and penciled beard.

"We want the aid to flow. We don't want aid stolen from one place to fill up another place," she said.

Ro Velasquez, 22, of the Queer Resistance Network, said the G20 summit has "nothing to do with poor people, with issues of welfare."

Before the protest, Syed Hussan, a spokesman for the Toronto Community Mobilization Network, called the G8 and G20 illegitimate bodies.

He said they are non-representative of women, or the gay and disabled communities, and should be abolished.

His group isn't advocating violence, but isn't telling demonstrators to refrain from property damage against large corporations.

"I believe that... in any of the protests there will be no one hurt," he said.

"In terms of property, we're really not trying to tell what activists what to do. We're trying to tell the G20 what to do, which is to go away."

Tuesday morning, feminist activists did "creative transformations" of public statues -- hanging banners, putting up placards and taking pictures, he said.

On Monday, hundreds of anti-poverty, animal rights and other activists stopped traffic as they marched through Toronto streets and briefly took over an Esso gas station.

Wednesday's planned protest will focus on the environment with what organizers are billing as a "toxic tour" of Toronto.