Providing parents with a venue to start the conversation of unity and inclusion with their children is one of the ideas behind this weekend's Pride London festivities.
Days three and four of the eleven day festival are geared toward families with events including Drag Queen Storytime at the Central Library on Dundas Street, a pride swim at the Boys and Girls Club of London on Horton Street, and retro roller skating at the North London Optimist Community Centre.
"Nobody is born to hate, you learn that," said Pride London President Andrew Rosser. "So when a family comes out they can answer questions about why that person is wearing a dress and heels but doesn't look traditionally female. It starts the conversations earlier and we can maybe prevent some of that bigotry and hatred that seems to creep in as kids get older."
Rosser added that growing the family focused portion of the pride festival is one of the accomplishments he is most proud of.
"Pride is about educating people and really bringing awareness to the community and what better way than to show families, show young kids," said Rosser."
The weekend also includes the 2019 festival awards at Civic Gardens Complex Springbank Drive on Saturday, a 1km, 5km and 10km fun run at Wonderland Gardens and a church service and picnic at the Trinity United Church Community Centre on Doulton Street on Sunday.
In total, this year's festival offers 43 events at several different locations throughout the city. There is everything from films to open mic nights to drag queen bingo to education sessions.
"A lot of our events you can drop in, you can peak in the window and you don't necessarily have to take part if you don't feel comfortable," said Rosser. "The biggest thing I would suggest to anybody who has never been to pride or is questioning their sexual orientation or gender diversity is to at least look. Take a peak at the pride guide online to see if there is anything there for you and give it a chance because there is a whole community there that will support you."
The festival comes to an end on July 28 with the 25th annual London Pride parade from the Western Fair District to Victoria Park. This year's parade grand marshal is Martin Withenshaw, a dedicated and passionate LGBT2Q+ advocate who has worked since the late 1980s to promote equality and acceptance.
To view the full list of Pride London Festival events click here.
