The Toronto Pride Parade was the highlight of a month-long celebration honoring the city’s LGBTQ+ community. Many who attended described the event as a beautiful symbol of friendship.
“It gets better every year, it multiplies, we love each other,” said Stephen Storey, who is celebrating his 22nd Pride in Toronto.
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This year’s Pride festivities in Toronto were especially meaningful as they welcomed LGBTQ+ newcomers who were celebrating their first Pride in Canada. Among them was Zhya Aramiy, who moved to Toronto from Iraq last year after facing persecution for his s
The parade started at the intersection of Bloor Street and Church Street, with over 250 groups marching together along Yonge Street to reach Nathan Phillips Square.
The groups included LGBTQ+ organizations such as the African Centre for Refugees and Toronto Pflag, all waving Pride flags and cheering alongside the crowds.
A Toronto fire truck also drove along the parade route, draped in Pride flags with rainbow balloons pinned to its roof.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow celebrated on a parade float, donning a rainbow feather boa and blowing kisses to the crowd.
Michelle O’Neil drove two hours to celebrate the event with her friends as an ally to the LGBTQ+ community. “It’s an event that’s all about love and inclusivity, and I just love that,” she said.
At one point during the parade, the clouds darkened and light rain briefly fell, but it didn’t keep celebrants from dancing and smiling, walking to the sound of drums and whistles in colourful outfits.
Toronto police tweeted at 6 p.m. that a demonstration disrupted the parade, causing a temporary pause.
At 6:15, Pride Toronto posted on social media that the rest of the parade had been canceled. No reason was listed, but the post stated that the rest of the festival would continue uninterrupted.
Pride Toronto did not specify the reason for the cancellation in their statement.