Photos of Toronto’s Trans* March During Pride

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Photos of Toronto’s Trans* March During Pride

It was one of the biggest events of its kind and it gave the community hope for the future.

This article originally appeared on VICE Canada.

This past weekend thousands of trans* folks and allies took to the streets of downtown Toronto as part of the city's annual Pride Week celebrations. Toronto's Pride has become known as one of the biggest in the world, attracting eccentric crowds this year despite the gloomy weather. And with the recent legalization of same sex marriage in the United States, this year's celebrations came with extra joy.

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(The asterisks in trans* is meant to show that the term is inclusive to other non-binary folks. "Binary is for computers," after all.)

Before the Trans* March got started, many gathered at an informal memorial service. People paid their respects for those who have died with false names on their graves and whose true identities have been forgotten. Only months ago, the Toronto trans* community gathered to mourn the death of Sumaya Dalmar, who died under mysterious circumstances, while some in the US have called the rash of recent trans deaths an "epidemic." The memorial served as a reminder that Pride is still about fighting for rights and addressing serious issues faced by these communities.

Speakers and sign-language interpreters shared some of their stories before starting the walk among drumming and chanting and plenty of spirit.

Every year, Pride Week is filled with events and parties around the world to celebrate and embrace diversity of identity, gender, and sex and to break the boundaries commonly associated with them. The past few years leading up to this Pride, in particular, have seen an increased visibility for trans* communities with celebrities like Caitlyn Jenner, Laverne Cox, and Laura Jane Grace making headlines. A shoutout was even made to Jennicet Gutiérrez, the woman who spoke out last week at the White House for LGBTQ immigrant rights. As the end-of-day concert began at Yonge Dundas Square, one of the speakers poignantly said, "This has been a good year for trans* people—if it's possible to say that."

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