Toronto celebrates Pride Month virtually

Mayor Tory raises rainbow and transgender flags and proclaims Pride Month in Toronto

TORONTO, ON., June 1, 2020 — Today, Mayor John Tory, joined by Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam (Ward 13 Toronto Centre), and a representative of Pride Toronto, officially proclaimed June as Pride Month in Toronto and raised the rainbow and transgender flags at City Hall. The ceremony was recorded and streamed live, kicking off Pride Toronto’s 2020 Virtual Pride Festival.

This year’s festival, planned for June 1 to 28, runs virtually to celebrate Pride in a new, creative, and unique way to showcase the history, courage and diversity of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, queer, questioning and Two-Spirit communities (LGBTQ2S+), while ensuring the safety of residents and proper physical distancing.

The month-long festival will culminate with the Virtual Pride Festival Weekend from June 26 to 28. Information about Pride Toronto and the Virtual Pride Festival is available at pridetoronto.com .

Virtual Pride is an opportunity to use technology as a platform to showcase the many talents of Toronto’s diverse LGBT2Q+ community members in new and exciting ways. Through Virtual Pride, organisers hope to bring a sense of belonging and community to those who need it most during this difficult period.

“We are excited to continue the numerous creative traditions of Pride in an innovative and personal style. You will be able to experience the performances, passions, and energy of our many amazing artists like never before,” say Pride organisers. The show must go on!

And to really gain a grasp of the scope of everything that is planned for the Virtual Pride Festival, the hub as mentioned is located at pridetoronto.com.

“We recognize that our LGBTQ2S+ communities are comprised of some of the most marginalized and vulnerable populations in our city and the COVID-19 pandemic has had a tremendous impact on their wellbeing,” said Mayor John Tory. Today’s flag raising and proclamation of Pride Month is an important symbol of our commitment to do more and build a more inclusive and equitable city. I encourage Torontonians to attend various virtual events throughout the month to celebrate Pride.”

The City of Toronto also encourages Torontonians to view Mayor Tory’s message, learn about the important milestones for LGBTQ2S+ communities, read the Pride Month Proclamation and access additional resources through the City’s Pride Month webpage.