FORMER Winnipeg mayor Glen Murray will serve as the grand marshal of this year's gay-pride parade, local organizers of the June 6 event have announced. The openly gay Murray, now an Ontario MLA representing Toronto Centre, will speak at the pre-parade rally at the Legislative Grounds. Then he'll have the place of honour in the colourful parade that travels from the Legislature to The Forks.
In a news release, Barb Burkowski, chair of the committee organizing the 24th annual Pride Festival, called Murray a visionary and an inspiring political leader.
"He put the national spotlight on Winnipeg and left an indelible stamp on our city during his time in office," she said. "We couldn't be happier to bring him back to participate in Pride."
Murray, the first openly gay mayor in Canada, led the city from 1998 to 2004.
The 10-day festival runs May 28 to June 6.
This is the first year that the festival-ending Pride Day celebration will be held at The Forks, rather than at Memorial Park. The new location will accommodate a larger crowd and feature a beer tent for the first time.
The headliner at The Forks will be R&B singer Deborah Cox.
