'It just makes me feel home': LGBTQ2S+ newcomers celebrate first Pride in Canada

When Zhya Aramiy was living in Turkey and Iraq, he had to keep his Pride flags hidden away.

When Zhya Aramiy was living in Turkey and Iraq, he had to keep his Pride flags hidden away.

Aramiy, who identifies as gay, fled from Iraq at the age of 27 after facing threats, physical violence and ostracization from his family because of his sexuality.

"I was at the point where I said, ‘I can’t stand it anymore,’” said Aramiy. “Either I have to lose my life here, just stay living this way, or I have to save my life ... go somewhere safe.”

After living in Turkey for seven years as a refugee, Aramiy, now 35, relocated to Toronto last September. He said when he first visited the Church and Wellesley neighbourhood, known as the city’s Gay Village, it was the first time he had seen so many Pride flags out in the open.

"When I was going out on Church Street, I could see lots of rainbow flags, all over, around me, everywhere I could see,” Aramiy said.

"This I can say is the most beautiful moment, when I experienced it for the first time.”

Aramiy is among hundreds of LGBTQ+ newcomers to Canada who are celebrating their first Pride in Toronto this month, an event that some of them say is not only a celebration of identity, but also a symbol of hope and belonging after fleeing persecution.