A sea of rainbow could be seen floating around downtown Sudbury today.
Hundreds of residents from all walks of life joined in the LGBTQ2S+ celebration. Waving flags, chanting slogans, dancing and generally upbeat music all formed Sudbury’s annual Pride Parade.
“It is always so great to see people join us and support the LGBTQ2S+ movement,” Daniel Melchior, a volunteer for Fierté Sudbury Pride said.
Since the first parade of 1997 in Sudbury, which drew about 200 people, Pride has grown exponentially.
“Every year we see huge numbers of crowd joining in. This year we could not even see the end of the parade,” Melchior said.
“I think with the growing support we can start to see some acceptance, and eventually we will not need a parade, because every day will be Pride,” Melchior said.
While the first Pride was about gaining rights, this year’s pride was about furthering those rights through education.
“I think the kids need to be taught about different orientations, so they can learn to respect and treat one another with kindness,” Melchior said.
Many of the marchers today expressed their disapproval with Premier Doug Ford's move to scrap Ontario's sexual education in favor of the curriculum from 1998, until a new curriculum can be written.
“With Pride, many people believe that we are only standing for queer, or gay vision inside the curriculum, but we are also supporting things like consent, and healthy living that is also going to be taken out,” Melchior said
Sudbury’s Pride is much different from the parades held down south. First it is held at a different time, and second, it attracts an entirely different audience.
“Sudbury Pride celebrations are still very grassroots, which is the beauty about it. It is very family oriented,” Bearonetta, a participant, said.
If you missed out on the Pride festivities, there is still some time as festivities continue for much of the weekend.
Make sure to also check out our gallery for some of the Pride moments.
