{"id":198767,"date":"2026-09-07T05:53:11","date_gmt":"2026-09-07T05:53:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/198767\/"},"modified":"2026-09-07T05:53:11","modified_gmt":"2026-09-07T05:53:11","slug":"it-is-worth-it-to-be-here-calgary-pride-parade-takes-over-downtown-core","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/198767\/","title":{"rendered":"‘It is worth it to be here’: Calgary Pride Parade takes over downtown core"},"content":{"rendered":"

Crowds packed the streets at both ends of 9th Avenue on Sunday for the annual Calgary Pride Parade.<\/p>\n

It was similar to the cool, rainy day that took place during the first Pride Parade that Naheed Nenshi participated in when he was a candidate for mayor 16 years ago.<\/p>\n

From his first time marching, he still remembered that people would wear masks to prevent their employers and families from knowing that they were in the parade.<\/p>\n

His second time around, he was both the marshal and the mayor.<\/p>\n

“I was the first mayor to ever be in the pride parade, and I was the marshal, and it was a beautiful sunny day. There were thousands of people,” Nenshi said.<\/p>\n

Related<\/p>\n

Every year, he would remind others that it might be a celebration, but human rights are fragile and they can go away quickly.<\/p>\n

“I’ve been saying it for years, and I hate that we actually have seen a moment where that has come true and where we have to go back to a place we never thought we’d have to go again to fight for basic human rights and basic dignity for people,” he said.<\/p>\n

\"Alberta<\/p>\n

Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi walks in the annual Calgary Pride Parade on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026.<\/p>\n

Although it’s a colourful and exciting celebration, he said there is an undercurrent this year where human rights are under great risk for members of the LGBT community across the province.<\/p>\n

“We have a provincial government that is willing to use the notwithstanding clause to throw away people’s basic human rights at their will, and what I learned today is that while it is a day of celebration, Albertans are not going to stand for it,” Nenshi said. “Albertans believe that we need a place of dignity for everyone who’s lucky enough to live here.”<\/p>\n

‘The work doesn’t end with a parade’<\/p>\n

It was a really good turnout and the parade was a great opportunity to bring their culture to the city, Black Pride YYC founder Daphne Dike-Hart said on her way to the Black Pride Festival after completing the parade.<\/p>\n

“I’m always so happy to bring our culture, Black culture, onto the parade ground,” Dike-Hart said. “Black Pride YYC walks the parade and we always try to make sure that people walk in their cultural attire and have fun with all the rainbows, and we love it. It was the first time my mom was on the sidewalk and my son, and it was very good to see people come out.”<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A drizzly day didn\u2019t dampen spirits as Calgarians celebrated Pride Week with the annual Calgary Pride Parade on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026.<\/p>\n

It was an emotional experience for Paulette Medina, a parade participant with WestJet Group that represented employees who are part of the LGBTQ+ community.<\/p>\n

Despite all the challenges the community faces, the energy from the city makes it all worth it, she said.<\/p>\n

“It is worth it to be here, and the work, it doesn’t end with a parade,” Medina said. “The work is throughout the year and with all the education that we need to receive about this community because it’s so much work to do still, but I think we’re getting there and we don’t have to give up.”<\/p>\n

\"Lois<\/p>\n

Lois Szabo, centre, walks with other Rainbow Elders Calgary members in the annual Calgary Pride Parade on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026.<\/p>\n

‘It’s all about collective action, collective power’<\/p>\n

Pride in the labour movement is celebrated every year and at several social justice movements, said Alberta Federation of Labour secretary-treasurer Cori Longo.<\/p>\n

“To me, this year is especially important just because pride is political and pride is a protest,” she said. “It’s all about collective action, collective power. They may be trying to push away and push around marginalized communities, but we’re here to stand together and stand up for equality and rights.”<\/p>\n

\"Skipping<\/p>\n

Skipping Stone supporters walk in the annual Calgary Pride Parade on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026.<\/p>\n

This is the 10th year that Otafest, Calgary’s non-profit Japanese anime and pop culture festival, participated in the parade, said chairperson Jenny Chan.<\/p>\n

It’s a big anniversary for their group, and seeing everyone out in the rainy weather meant so much to them.<\/p>\n

“It was just amazing, especially in the rain here,” Chan said. “You worry that maybe it’ll be a bit of an empty parade, but it wasn’t. It just felt just as full as last year when it was like 35 degrees out. It was probably safer this year to be walking in the parade than last year here, and my Pikachu didn’t get a heat stroke this year, at least.”<\/p>\n

\"Calgary<\/p>\n

Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas poses with Silvera for Seniors at the annual Calgary Pride Parade on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A drizzly day didn\u2019t dampen spirits as Calgarians celebrated Pride Week with the annual Calgary Pride Parade on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A drizzly day didn\u2019t dampen spirits as Calgarians celebrated Pride Week with the annual Calgary Pride Parade on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026.<\/p>\n

\"Calgary<\/p>\n

Calgary Flare inclusive hockey team players take part in the Calgary Pride Parade on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A drizzly day didn\u2019t dampen spirits as Calgarians celebrated Pride Week with the annual Calgary Pride Parade on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A drizzly day didn\u2019t dampen spirits as Calgarians celebrated Pride Week with the annual Calgary Pride Parade on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026.<\/p>\n

Catch up with the day’s headlines, curated by our editors and delivered to your email inbox at lunchtime on every business day. Sign up now for the Calgary Herald Noon News Roundup.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Crowds packed the streets at both ends of 9th Avenue on Sunday for the annual Calgary Pride Parade.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":198768,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[336,8872,23111,62274,29024,51,62277,62272,62278,62273,62279,62280,62276,3180,62275,59888,24935],"class_list":["post-198767","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-calgary","tag-336","tag-albertans","tag-annual","tag-black-pride-yyc","tag-calgarians","tag-calgary","tag-calgary-pride-parade","tag-chan","tag-cori-longo","tag-dike-hart","tag-jenny-chan","tag-kevin-allen","tag-medina","tag-naheed-nenshi","tag-nenshi","tag-sept-6","tag-sunday"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/198767","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=198767"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/198767\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/198768"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=198767"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=198767"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=198767"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}