Pride Parade hits Toronto’s streets with PM Mark Carney marching

Toronto’s annual Pride Parade is underway, drawing throngs of partygoers as the city simultaneously basks in World Cup excitement.

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 has walked in Toronto’s Pride Parade since he took office last year.

He marched in front of a crowd 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.

The parade started forming along Rosedale Valley Road on Sunday morning, spurring downtown road closures, which police say will be lifted around 8 p.m.

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The parade kicked off around 2 p.m.

For festivalgoer Chris Collens, it’s been exciting to see the growth of queer acceptance over the decades he’s attended Pride. Sunday’s 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 has a booth at the festival. Attending Pride with the support of his employer is something Collens said he could have only dreamed about growing up.

For TL Sutherland, who attended Toronto Pride for the first time on Sunday, the day was about honouring themselves 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 trans youth, who, according to Statistics Canada, exhibit thoughts of suicide and suicide-related behaviours more frequently than their non-LGBTQ peers.

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.