World Pride  comes to Toronto June 20-29, and the Canadian capital's rich LGBT history makes it the ideal host for the global celebration's first North American venture.

In the 1940s, Toronto activist Jim Egan began calling for reforms to Canada's laws on homosexuality, and wrote to newspapers about the negative depictions of LGBT people. At that time homosexual acts were still illegal, and gay bars were often raided, but a community began to emerge and fight for respect and equality. In 1961, Maison de Lys, the first Toronto club where gay men and lesbians could go for same-sex dancing, opened.

Seven years later, in 1968, Canada decriminalized homosexual acts between consenting adults—35 years before the Supreme Court did the same in the U.S..

In the 1970s, Toronto birthed some of the earliest LGBT rights organizations in Canada, including the Lesbian Organization of Toronto and the Gay Alliance Toward Equality. In 1972, a Toronto-based public-access channel aired Coming Out, Canada's first television series about LGBT issues. That same year, Glad Day bookshop opened—in continues to be a resource for queer lit and nonfiction today.

The city began marrying same-sex couples in 2003, two years before Canada sanctioned it on the national level. That same year the people of Toronto elected openly gay Member of Provincial Parliament George Smitherman in 2003.  Kyle Rae, Toronto's first openly gay city council, served from 1991 until 2010.

Below, take a look at the history of World Pride

World Pride 2000

Rome, Italy

World Pride began in Rome in 2000, when the Italian gay rights group Mario Mieli and InterPride put on a nine-day celebration in the Italian capital. Despite resistance from the city's religious community, the festival was one of the largest for Rome in decades: More than 250,000 attended parties, conferences, fashion shows, parades and concerts—with celebrity performers and guests including  Geri Halliwell, Rupaul, The Village People and Gloria Gaynor.

World Pride 2006Jerusalem, Israel

In 2006, World Pride came to the City of Peace, celebrating "Love Without Borders," a nod to the ongoing Israeli/Palestinian conflict, and the many barriers faced by LGBT people around the world.

World Pride 2012

London, England

World Pride was last held in London, just ahead of the 2012 Summer Olympics. A grand Pride Walk and rally in Trafalgar Square were two of the week's marquee events.