Justin Trudeau makes historic visit to Canadian gay bar
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau geared up for his country's Pride Weekend by stopping by a gay bar Monday night, surprising customers there — and making history, according to local reports. Trudeau may be the first prime minister to visit a gay bar, but this is not his first display of support for the LGBTQ community.
In 2016, he became the first Canadian prime minister to march in a pride parade. Trudeau was seen waving rainbow flags, dancing and taking photos with parade attendees in the streets of Toronto, BBC News reports.
Vancouver is gearing up for #Pride weekend right now, but the spirit of pride and inclusivity is strong here all year long! Thanks to the folks at @fountainheadVAN for the warm welcome today. pic.twitter.com/vQWgTUG9xw
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) July 30, 2019
There was a similar scene during his visit to the Fountainhead Pub on Monday. The prime minister met with bar patrons and posed for their photos. Videos show people in the bar clapping as he walked in.
"So pleased to have welcomed @justinpjtrudeau to @thefountainheadpub in my riding," MP for Vancouver Center, Hedy Fry, posted on Instagram, sharing several images of Trudeau at the pub.
Canada once "purged" gay residents, starting in the 1940s, and under Trudeau the country has made strides in paying reparations to victims of the discriminatory policies. In 2017, the Trudeau government put aside more than $100 million to compensate people whose military or federal careers were ended due to their sexual orientation, CBC reports.
Shortly after, Trudeau made a historic, sweeping apology to the victims of Canada's past anti-LGBTQ policies.