My first Pride experience was just after my first year of university. I took the train into Toronto with some friends of mine, excited but not sure of what to expect. I’d never felt much of a kinship with body shots or house music – maybe I could just spend my weekend eating fries at the chip truck?
But, when I got there, the element that impressed upon me the most was the true diversity. Not just amoung the queer community, but with everyone. People of all orientaions, races, ages; parents, children, even whole families. I really felt like no matter who I was, this was an event and a community that included me – not just because I was gay, but because I was there. There really was an almost-tangible energy in the air of ‘belonging’.
And so, I went forth and drank my own body weight in Smirnoff Ice.
Even today, I think of Pride less as a queer event and more as an event where everyone is welcome, regardless of our circumstances.