Thousands gather for Pride parade in downtown Toronto
CBC
The streets of Toronto were filled with music, colour and rainbows as thousands people took part in the annual Pride parade Sunday.
The parade kicked off at 2 p.m. with more than 25,000 marchers making their way from the Rosedale neighbourhood through the downtown core to Nathan Phillips Square.
Toronto's Pride is Canada's largest Pride celebration in the country – attracting millions of visitors every year.
Andrew Welch has been going to Pride Toronto for more than 25 years.
"We've been going to Pride for many years now, and the sense of community and the celebration are still here, even with the things happening around the world, so I'm really happy to see things haven't changed," he told CBC Sunday.
Pride Toronto says this year's ceremonies feature a 99 per cent Canadian lineup of performers and include a focus on the transgender and non-binary community.
Ahead of Pride month's grand finale on Sunday, Toronto was filled with dozens of events celebrating the 2SLGBTQ+ community.
Jean Huang has joined Friday night's transgender rally and started Saturday off running with more than 2,000 people to raise money for local 2SLGBTQ+ organizations as part of the Pride and Remembrance Run.
"It's so great to finally see diversity and find your own people," she said.
This weekend was particularly special for Huang, who told CBC that she has recently come out and it's her first time at Pride.
"I feel like I'm finally allowed to explore who I am. I have no words," Huang told CBC Saturday.
This year's Pride Toronto theme, "All In," is meant to celebrate the city and reflect the core values of Canadians, organizers say.
Pride Toronto's executive director says the event sends an important message.
"What it [the event] does is bring together the community and our allies to celebrate, but at the same time, to send a message that there are still many 2SLGBTQ+ members across the globe who are still fighting for their rights," Kojo Modeste told CBC Sunday.
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