TORONTO — The streets and concert venues of Toronto will be filled with music over the next 10 days as WorldPride hits the city.
Melissa Etheridge and Deborah Cox will kick things off Friday night at the opening ceremonies at Nathan Phillips Square.
During the WorldPride festival, acts like k.d. lang, Peaches, Mia Martina, Crystal Waters, Carly Rae Jepsen, Dragonette, Estelle, Chely Wright and Cece Peniston will entertain.
Among those scheduled to perform at the closing ceremonies of WorldPride at Yonge-Dundas Square is Calgary duo Tegan and Sara.
The lesbian sisters recently told Global News they are “excited and honoured” to be part of the festivities.
“Toronto Pride was the first Pride we ever went to when we were 18 years old. It was really important to Sara and I, especially when we were coming out,” said Tegan. “We’re thrilled to be here and really excited to celebrate with everybody.”
On June 24, A Great Big World performs at the Danforth Music Hall — and while it’s not an official WorldPride event, the show is bound to attract the duo’s gay fans.
In a recent interview with Global News, A Great Big World’s Chad Vaccarino — who is gay — explained the decision to record the song “Everyone is Gay.”
“It’s a celebration and it’s speaking to the kids who are bullied or confused — or anyone who’s confused or feeling uneasy about their sexuality,” he said. “You should be who you are and you should love who you love and this is life. Your feelings are not meant to be suppressed.”
Vaccarino recalled his own struggles with his sexuality.
“I was bullied as a kid for my sexuality and feeling like I didn’t identify as gay but kids would tease me for being gay,” he recalled. “I didn’t understand it.”
Vaccarino said it wasn’t until he was in college that he realized “there’s a spectrum of sexuality.”
He added: “You can be gay, you can be straight, you can be somewhere in the middle.”
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