World Pride is bringing its giant Gay
Pride event to North America.
Toronto will host World Pride 2014,
Toronto
Pride announced on Sunday, making it the first city outside of
Europe to host the event. Toronto Pride puts on the city's annual
Gay Pride festival, one of the largest gay events in the world,
attracting over a million revelers to the city's gay neighborhood
along Yonge Street.
“A festival of this nature will bring
Pride contingents from the world over, building international
awareness of our culture and identities,” Pride Toronto spokeswoman
Crystal Moore said in a statement.
“World Pride 2014 will transform our
local pride and community spirit, while generating a positive impact
on our economy, our tourism and commercial industry, and our physical
and social community,” she added.
Organizer InterPride is hoping it can
shake off controversies that have marred previous events. In 2000,
the Vatican pressured Rome officials to pull out its financial support. And a violent Israeli-Lebanese conflict forced the cancellation of the
2006 event in Jerusalem.
“Pride Toronto has already started
planning a magnificent opening ceremony, a packed program of human
rights events, a parade of nations, and numerous other exciting
aspects,” Moore said.
After 2014, the event will be held once
every five years. London is scheduled to host the event in 2012.