Volunteers with Pride Toronto carry a large rainbow flag during the 2019 Pride Parade in Toronto, Sunday, June 23, 2019. The city hosts its annual Pride parade today, with tens of thousands expected to join Canada's largest LGBTQ celebration. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Lahodynskyj
TORONTO – Massive crowds are filling the streets of downtown Toronto today for Canada’s largest Pride parade.
The annual event, which caps off weeks of festivities celebrating the city’s LGBTQ community, has attracted thousands of marchers and 250 participating groups.
Some prominent politicians are also on hand, including federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and a handful of candidates hoping to be elected as the city’s mayor on Monday.
But the event is unfolding amid heightened security prompted by a rise in threats against Pride festivals across the country and a surge in hateful incidents targeting the LGBTQ community.
Parade organizer Pride Toronto says policing costs have more than doubled this year, while insurance costs ballooned from $67,000 in 2022 to more than $300,000.
Some attendees say the recent attacks on LGBTQ rights make it more important than ever to celebrate Pride.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 25, 2023.
