In a progressive move, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau created history by marching in the Toronto Gay Pride parade. By doing so, he becomes the country’s first ever sitting prime minister to participate.
Dressed in a salmon shirt and white jeans, he was seen rejoicing in the streets waving a Canadian maple-leaf flag bordered with a rainbow. He was also seen taking selfies and shaking hands with the participants who lined the parade route.
The colourful procession observed a minute of silence to pay respect to the victims of the 12 June nightclub massacre in Orlando, Florida that left 49 dead. The security was tight amidst the festive spirits and even though an official number has not been released by the Canadian police, the organisers have confirmed that over one million people participated in the event.
Trudeau, is know for his pro-gay stance as he had walked in the annual parade last year too, as the head of the Liberal Party. Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne — Canada’s first openly gay head of a province — and Toronto Mayor John Tory marched alongside Trudeau. The three politicians attended an outdoor worship service yesterday morning in the city’s gay district.
The immensely popular prime minister also later in the day, came up with some very progressive reforms by announcing that he along with his cabinet is exploring the possibility of ‘gender neutral’ ID cards. Last week, the Canadian province of Ontario said it would allow the use of a third gender indicator, X, for driver’s licenses, which are commonly used in North America to provide identification.
