EXTREME WARNING: This article contains images of an incident involving full-frontal nudity at a public event. Viewer discretion is advised. CALGARY — A man walking through the opening day of Toronto’s Pride festival weekend without pants and exposing his genitals during a live television broadcast has sparked criticism and questions over age-appropriateness at Pride events.The incident occurred on Friday during a live report by CTV News anchor Lyndsay Morrison from downtown Toronto, where, as she was reporting on the event, a man came into frame and was seen casually walking in the background of the shot with his genitals exposed..Online critics questioned why such behaviour was being tolerated at a public event that is touted as being appropriate for all ages.Political commentator Ryan Gerritsen was among those condemning the scene.."This guy is no doubt walking near children at some point," Gerritsen wrote on social media platform X."How is this acceptable in any way?"Another commentator asked, “How does being gay equate to thinking you can walk around with your genitalia fully exposed?”Other online critics also asked what local law enforcement was doing and why the public nudity was allowed to happen..“Indecent Acts (Section 173): Willfully doing an indecent act in a public place in front of witnesses or in any place with the intent to insult or offend someone,” said one X user.The footage emerged as Toronto launched its 45th annual Pride festival weekend, one of the largest Pride celebrations in the world.Organizers expect more than 25,000 participants from roughly 250 groups to take part in the main Sunday Pride Parade.This isn’t the first controversy to surround the event.In 2014, there was public debate over naked men at the event after politicians and school trustees questioned whether nudity should be permitted at an event promoted as inclusive and attended by families.Also, in 2024, Toronto police were criticized when no charges were laid for public nudity at the event after they cited that making arrests wouldn’t serve anyone’s interests.“At large events such as the Pride Parade, which attracts as many as a million people, our number one priority is public safety and ensuring a peaceful event,” a Toronto police spokesperson told True North at the time.“It’s not in the best interest of officers or the community to have police wading into crowds to arrest people for public nudity, a charge which requires the consent of the Attorney General.”
