Toronto's gay pride parade organizers announced that Justin Trudeau will become the first Canadian prime minister in history to participate in the annual festivities. Organized by nonprofit organization Pride Toronto, the annual festival has become a major Canadian cultural event, and is recognized as being one of the largest pride celebrations in North America.
Earlier today, Trudeau tweeted: "Very much looking forward to being there again, this time as PM. #PrideTO."
"[It's] big news in Canada but big news around the world," Pride Toronto's executive director Mathieu Chantelois told Buzzfeed Canada. "Not only because he is probably the sexiest politician alive, but also because there has never been a leader of a country to walk in a parade, at least not that we know of. It's a nice way to make history."
Leading up to the parade, Toronto's first-ever Pride Month will launch June 1 with the theme of belonging and inclusion. Trudeau is expected to march in the parade July 3 alongside Toronto mayor John Tory and Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne, the first lesbian premier in Canada.
Since taking power in October, with a Liberal majority in the Canadian government, having ousted Conservative Stephen Harper after nearly 10 years in office, Trudeau has made equality a major feature of his tenure. He established a gender-balanced cabinet for the first time in the country's history, and his government is on track to welcome 25,000 Syrian refugees by the end of the month.
