This summer I had the chance to complete one of the tasks on my Bucket List. I attended The Toronto Pride Parade with a few of my closest friends. Initially, I wanted to attend the parade because I was curious to see what it was about- especially because Toronto celebrates Pride Week in such a fantastic way. Although this is something that I have always wanted to do, I am glad I waited until the near end of my university career because I was able to witness the parade from the stance of an International Development student and an advocate for pluralism.
Watching the parade was like no other. Besides all the glitzy costumes (or lack of costumes) and loud music, was a collective expression for love that goes beyond gender, race, and sexuality. It was amazing to see people representing different countries, religions, places of work, ethnicities, and sexual orientations as advocates for the right to love whoever they choose too.
Marriage and love equality tie into a lot of development issues that are faced in the Global North. There is a lack of awareness regarding same sex marriages and relations that lead to the spread of diseases. In many cultures and countries, people are killed if they deviate from societal and cultural norms. Therefore education and the spread of knowledge regarding these issues are key facets towards eradicating the stigma associated with gender, love, and marriage inequalities around the world.
The biggest affirmation I had from attending the parade was that love is loveregardless of any orientation. Unfortunately we don’t live in a world where we can love freely. But once upon a time, we also lived in a world where people of different races could not attend the same school, or get married and where woman were not allowed to vote. Some of these things might seem irrational today, but back then they were just as controversial as love equality is today. However, progress has been made on many of these issues, and I believe that love and marriage equality have the potential to be recognized by everyone through a pluralistic outlook that involves open dialogue and acceptance.
