Edmonton Garrison hosts first Pride march at Canadian Forces base
Canadian Forces history was made in Edmonton Friday as soldiers, family, and friends marched together in the first Pride parade at a military base.
Military members waved Pride flags, and tanks and trucks were decorated with Pride memorabilia as they moved through Canadian Forces Base Edmonton.
Maj. John McDougall joined the Canadian Armed Forces in the early 90s when the military prohibited people who identified as gay from serving.
"I used to have to put on two uniforms," McDougall said. "I'd put on my military uniform, and then I'd put on my 'straight John uniform.'"
"The military police and RCMP came knocking on my door and arrested me for being gay," he added. "I look back at that time as a marker. That's where we were. Events like that are what lead to events like today."
That ban would be lifted in 1992. Today, McDougall says he holds no animosity or hatred towards the military.
"Now I get to wear just one uniform," McDougall said. "A uniform that says we're inclusive, we're welcoming. We want this to be a safe place for anyone that wants to be a member of the Canadian Armed Forces."
Master Sailor Antoine Lavoie, co-chair of the Defense Team Pride Advisory Organization (DTPAO), said starting a base-wide Pride parade means the world for members of the LGBTQ2S+ community.
"To be honest, it felt kind of crazy and surreal that I was actually in uniform marching on a base, and I was welcome," Lavoie said. "The support was tremendous."
For McDougall, the past few years of not being allowed to participate in other Edmonton Pride events or parades and the pandemic proved difficult for many queer service members.
Now a DTPAO champion, McDougall shared how Friday marked the third 'first' of his military career, including marching in the first Pride parade in Toronto allowing armed forces members, and raising the Pride flag at the Edmonton Garrison in 2013.
"Today, I cannot define how I feel. My buttons are going to burst off my shirt; my chest is so big," he added.
"We can put out policy, but we can't make people be inclusive, and these people are here because they choose to be part of our family."
Col. Rob McBride, 3rd Canadian Division Support Group commander, said he was humbled to take part in the march.
"I've been in the military now for 29 years, and I can say during that 29 years, we've come leaps and bounds ahead of where we were," he said. "The inclusivity now, the strength that that inclusivity brings to the defence team is truly phenomenal.
"Without being an inclusive organization, there's no way we'd be able to be as prepared and as ready as we are for the operations we have to partake in."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
AstraZeneca says it will withdraw COVID-19 vaccine globally as demand dips
AstraZeneca said on Tuesday it had initiated the worldwide withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine due to a 'surplus of available updated vaccines' since the pandemic.
'Summer of discontent': Federal unions vow to fight new 3-day a week office mandate
Federal unions are launching legal challenges and encouraging public sector workers to file "tens of thousands" of grievances over the new mandate requiring federal workers to return to the office at least three days a week in the fall.
Toronto police seek suspect vehicle after security guard shot outside Drake's mansion
Toronto police are seeking help from the public as they continue to investigate a shooting that seriously injured a security guard outside rapper Drake's mansion.
'Ozempic babies': Reports of surprise pregnancies raise new questions about weight loss drugs
Numerous women have shared stories of 'Ozempic babies' on social media. But the joy some experience in discovering pregnancies may come with anxiety about the unknowns.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Seafood, eat food: Calgary Stampede releases Midway menu
The Calgary Stampede has released its menu of sweet, salty and spicy treats available on the Midway for the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they've changed their name
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.
These snakes not only fake their own deaths, they use gory special effects to do it
Awards season may be over for human actors this year, but there’s no rest for some of nature’s most audacious thespians.