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Kelowna  

Thousands march with Pride

More people than ever participated in the Okanagan Pride march through downtown Kelowna Saturday.

Dustyn Baulkham, Okanagan Pride Society president, said some 6,000 people took part.

“We had 4,700 last year,” he said.

Baulkham said participants were joined by spectators as they marched from downtown to Waterfront Park where an afternoon of festivities was planned, including a mass wedding.

“It's the first time we've done that. We had some people reach out to us and say they wanted to try it,” said Baulkham, adding four couples will be tying the knot at the same time.

Baulkham said the City of Kelowna has given strong support to the LGBTQ community, and he singled out Mayor Colin Basran for his work on promoting acceptance.

But, Baulkham said there is still a ways to go, especially globally where members of the LGBTQ community are being persecuted on a daily basis.

“It's a scary world out there. Even at home, we have made some amazing progress, but we still have to move forward,” he said, adding events like the Pride gatherings go a long way in promoting acceptance.

“Days like today save people's lives because they can come out and be who they were born to be,” he said.



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