Pride Toronto events to go on as planned with increased security following Orlando attack

The plan for 2016Pride Torontowill not be altered in response to the deadly attack on agay nightclub in Florida, but the month-long festivalwill have increased security, the organization'sExecutiveDirector has confirmed.

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Mathieu Chantelois spoke to reporterson Monday following a security review meeting with Toronto Police and the RCMP.

"Nothing that is planned will change. Everything that we had in mind for this month will happen," Chantelois said."The threat is there, but we will not let fears get in the way of what we do."

Staff from the Prime Minister's office also attended the meeting.Organizers sayJustin Trudeau will be the first sitting Prime Minister to marchin the annual parade, which takesplace July 3rd.

No plan for more uniformed officers

Chanteloistold reporters the planfor beefed-up security during Pride month is still being worked out and he could not reveal many details.

But he said there will not be ahigher number of uniformed officers, something organizers wish to avoid due to the relationship some members of the LGBT community have with law enforcement.

• 'Very challenging relationship': Pride Toronto gets more security but not more uniformed police

Concern following incidents in US

Monday's security review was called in response to heightened safety concerns in the wake of the deadly attack on Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida.

In an unrelated incident, also on Sunday, police in Southern California arrested a heavily armed man who told them he was on his way to the Los Angeles pride parade.

Next month's parade in Toronto will be dedicated to victims of the Orlando attack, Chantelois said.

"In their honour, we will have a minute of silence.All the names will be part of the parade as well and they will be part of everything that we do. They will be in our heart. They will be in our mind."

While the celebratory nature of Pride has taken on a more somber tone in the wake of the shooting, the Pride Toronto headsaid all events will go ahead as planned.

"We will dance in the streets and we will dance in the clubs," Chantelois said."We're planning to go as big as we can go."