TORONTO — Toronto’s annual Pride Parade on Sunday drew throngs of rainbow-clad partygoers, including the prime minister.
Mark Carney joined the parade briefly with Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow, shaking hands and taking selfies with the roaring crowds lining Yonge Street.
As he marched, Carney goaded revellers wielding water guns to drench him. The prime minister stumbled back as he was sprayed with water, feigning injury, and he continued the rest of the march, hair wet and pink shirt soaked through.
It was the first time Carney walked in Toronto’s Pride Parade since he took office last year.
He marched in front of a group of Pride Toronto volunteers who held signs showing the names and faces of the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting. The 2016 shooting at a gay club in Florida left 49 people dead and 53 injured.
Marking 10 years since the tragedy, Pride Toronto said it was honouring the victims “not only in grief, but in remembrance.”
The parade started forming along Rosedale Valley Road in the morning, and kicked off around 2 p.m. .
For festivalgoer Chris Collens, it was exciting to see the growth of queer acceptance over the decades he’s attended Pride. The festivities were a far cry from when Collens used to sneak out of the house for the event.
“Pride was kind of a protest for equality, people would lose their jobs because they were gay (and) lesbian,” Collens said of growing up in the early 2000s, back when he hid his queer identity.
On Sunday, he was at Pride with his workplace, the Ontario Teachers Insurance Plan, which had a booth at the festival. Attending Pride with the support of his employer was something Collens said he could have only dreamed about growing up.
For others, attending Pride was a longtime family tradition.
Gabrielle Ogchet soaked up the festival with her mother Felicia, who has taken her to Pride parades since she was born.
“We’ve never missed a year,” Ogchet said. “Except for COVID.”
Ogchet said her mother taught her everything she knows about queer culture and she’s grateful she gets to celebrate with her year after year.
“It means a lot to me and to be able to support her and her people,” Ogchet said. “I know not a lot of people have the opportunity to do that so I really cherish it.”
For TL Sutherland, who attended Toronto Pride for the first time this year, the day was about honouring themself and the friends they have lost.
Growing up in a religious household, Sutherland, who is non-binary, said it has been hard to live as their authentic self. Recently, they lost a friend to suicide.
“Phenomenal pianist, phenomenal composer,” Sutherland said of their friend. “I’m here to remember those people.”
Sutherland said more needs to be done to support queer and transgender youth, who, according to Statistics Canada, exhibit thoughts of suicide and suicide-related behaviours more frequently than their non-LGBTQ peers.
Sutherland called for free psychiatric care in Canada.
Toronto Pride bills itself as the largest festival in Canada and the second-largest Pride in the world.
Organizers said this year’s theme is “We Won’t Stop,” reminding participants of the fights and victories behind rights and visibility for the LGBTQ+ community.
Kojo Modeste, the festival’s executive director, said the theme aims to generate momentum and action that will create lasting change.
The festival has faced funding shortfalls in recent years, citing corporate sponsor withdrawals because of backlash against diversity, equity and inclusion.
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