You always remember your first time – in this case, we’re talkin’ Pride. Mine was a month or two after I had moved to Toronto in 2007. Before that I went to high school in Small Town, ON and delayed my coming out process until I left home to attend the University of Guelph. Even though I was out to my family and friends by the time I had a degree in-hand, I still wasn’t really interested in doing any of that “gay stuff”. I was content to drink pints at the pub with the boys, two-step with the ladies at the country bar, and when I was invited by some friends to take a road trip to Toronto one summer to attend the Pride Parade, I politely turned down the offer. Friends would comment that I was the straightest gay guy they’d ever met – they were probably right.
Back story now provided, I was livin’ it large in the big city – I had a big place in midtown with an awesome roommate and I was ready to spend the summer partying while looking for a job. When June rolled around, curiosity got the best of me so I decided to invite a few people to my place and to join me for the Pride Parade. I was nervous and excited (and just maybe a little hung-over) when we got downtown for the parade, but we snagged a spot up front and took it all in.
Oddly enough, it wasn’t the parade itself that sticks in my mind as my most memorable Pride moment. That moment came just after the parade had finished and we found ourselves in the sea of people heading towards Church Street. In that hot sweaty mess of people, I saw men holding hands, kissing one another, and checking each other (and me) out without worrying about what other people thought. It was this feeling of freedom that was most memorable – it was something I had never experienced before.
Pride isn’t just about the parties, the scantily clad guys, the stage shows, and the street celebrations (although they’re all pretty fabulous), it’s about freedom, it’s about friendship, and it’s about finding yourself. It shows, on a massive scale, just how strong and how vibrant our community really is. It shows, as this year’s theme proclaims, you belong.
Over the last four years, I met some of my closest and dearest friends at Pride – and these friends have helped me grow and accept myself. That “gay stuff” is part of my life now – and it’s awesome. Of course, not everything has changed – I’ll still two-step with you if you buy me a pint.
Happy 30th, Pride Toronto! I’ll see you there!