Canada’s Drag Race winner Priyanka will host the 40th anniversary Toronto Pride Parade.
Like last year, the Pride Parade, Dyke March, Trans March and all the various community events and parties are happening virtually since Toronto has cancelled all in-person city-permitted events through July 1 due to COVID-19.
Other acts confirmed to appear during the Pride Parade include pop star Allie X and Juno-winning pop musician iskwē.
Meanwhile, local R&B is well-represented in the lineup, with Storry and TRP.P both headlining stages. Recent NOW cover star and Canada’s Drag Race contestant Tynomi Banks and eclectic hip-hop/soul singer/songwriter Shi Wisdom round out the list of headliners.
In all, this year’s Pride will feature 70 events and feature more than 130 2SLGBTQ+ artists, 14 party collectives and seven community committee programs. Pride Month will kick off on June 1 and include two Festival Weekends on June 18-20 and June 25-27.
Virtual editions of Trans Pride and Dyke March take place on June 25 and 26, respectively, and the Pride Parade will cap off the festivities at 2 pm on June 27.
We are excited to unveil our 40th Anniversary Programming Lineup and Digital Pride Guide! Scroll through the full Festival lineup online at https://t.co/PahxZ76DCc to find events important to you.
— Pride Toronto (@PrideToronto) May 3, 2021
Illustration by Vivian Rosas#PrideToronto #Pride40 pic.twitter.com/hIvzi8eE6G
The month will kick off with a flag raising at city hall on June 1, followed by a COVID-safe fundraising dinner at Cabana Pool Bar on June 2 (pending the lifting of lockdown restrictions).
Local promoters throwing virtual parties during Pride include Strapped, billed as the city’s “sexiest queer party” for queer women and non binary people of colour; long-running hip-hop/dancehall jam Yes Yes Y’All featuring Bambii and recent Sound of Toronto artist Ebhoni; New Ho Queen, a queer Asian party collective; Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer variety show Catalyst; Drag Ball, hosted by Canada’s Drag Race alum BOA; Blackness Yes!’s 23rd annual Blockorama; and Revolution, a closing party featuring Banks and Wisdom.
Non-party events include an Indigenous People’s Day showcase, human rights panels, a queer shopping channel supporting local businesses, sex talks, drag bingo, history trivia with the ArQuives, spoken word poetry workshops and more.
Check out the full Pride Guide here.
