Large crowds pack Toronto streets as Canada’s largest Pride parade begins – Toronto | Globalnews.ca

TORONTO — Massive crowds thronged the streets of Toronto under sunny skies on Sunday to take part in Canada’s largest Pride parade.

Colourfully-clad attendees cheered, danced, fluttered rainbow fans to beat the heat and blew bubbles in a show of support and celebration for Canada’s LGBTQ community, which has faced a growing number of threats and witnessed attacks on long-sought rights in recent months.

The contentious climate prompted Pride event planners in Toronto and beyond to significantly step up security efforts. Pride Toronto, organizer of Sunday’s parade featuring at least 250 participating groups, said it spent twice as much money on policing for this year’s event than it did in 2022.

But some attendees said the environment that makes extra security necessary also makes it all the more important to celebrate Pride and show solidarity with the community.

Georgie Sountos and Sarah Rice sat together waiting for the parade to begin, having met earlier in the day. Rice traveled from London, Ont., to join their queer community.

They said it feels more important than ever this year to show up and be seen, noting LGTBQ people are seeing their rights taken away in several countries.

“Pride is a celebration but it’s also a protest,” Rice said.

That spirit was also in evidence along Toronto’s Yonge Street, where marchers carried banners with slogans such as “protect trans youth” and “protect trans kids.”

For Sountos, Sunday’s parade marked the latest of decades of Pride. The 65-year-old Torontonian said she has been coming to Pride since attendance numbered in the tens and hundreds.

“We’re here, we’re loud, we’re proud, we count,” she said.

The march also drew some prominent politicians, including federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and a handful of candidates hoping to be elected as the city’s mayor in a byelection set for Monday.

Perceived front-runner Olivia Chow was expected to be on hand along with other mayoral hopefuls Ana Bailao, Brad Bradford and Josh Matlow.

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