The Star’s view

Mayor ends era of prejudice,

It was a time when Toronto the Good looked really bad. Four years ago this month, former mayor Rob Ford embarrassed the city and angered many by refusing to have anything to do with Pride festival celebrations.

What followed was a four-year snub of the city’s LGBTQ community. Ford rubbed it in by making homophobic remarks that were caught on tape.

Thankfully, his reign of error is long over. On Monday, Mayor John Tory — wearing a celebratory rainbow tie — officially turned the page by raising the Pride flag over City Hall.

“Happy Pride ladies and gentlemen,” Tory said of the largest pride festival in North America, which drew a million participants last year. “Welcome to your city hall, our city hall.”

His participation, and that of 17 other council members, wasn’t just symbolic. It demonstrated clearly that there’s no room for anti-LGBTQ attitudes in this city.

Pride Toronto co-chair Aaron Glyn-Williams said Tory’s commitment to participate in the weeklong festival is “the start of a new relationship between, not just this festival and the Mayor’s office, but the broader LGBTQ community.” That alone is something to take pride in. And there’s more to celebrate at this year’s 35th edition of the Pride Toronto festival. In addition to having the first openly gay premier in Kathleen Wynne, Ontario now has legislation banning “conversion therapy” for lesbian and gay children. It means parents who are unhappy with a child’s sexual or gender identity cannot force them into treatment in an attempt to change it.

New Democrat MPP Cheri Di Novo, who introduced the legislation, was pleased that it passed unanimously just in time for Pride festivities, which officially kicked off Friday and culminate in the main Pride Parade this Sunday.

There’s no lack of star power to buoy the boisterous event. This year’s International Grand Marshall is Bollywood star and United Nations Equality champion Celina Jaitly. International Grand Marshalls who will perform are Pussy Riot and Cyndi Lauper. The Grand Marshall of the Pride Toronto Parade is filmmaker and husband of Elton John, David Furnish.

Highlights of the festival are this Tuesday’s Aids Candlelight Vigil, Friday’s Bend It Like Bombay South Asian Festival and Saturday’s Human Rights Conference at the University of Toronto.

Then there’s the Trans March on Friday and the Dyke March on Saturday. There are also art exhibitions, dances, theatre presentations, religious celebrations and pool parties.

So don your best rainbow-themed duds and take pride in joining the party.

Mayor John Tory ends an era of prejudice by kicking off Pride festival in style