Pride Toronto is kicking off its first ever month-long celebration today with a rainbow flag-raising ceremony this afternoon at city hall.

Mayor John Tory joined Councillor Kristyn-Wong-Tam, along with other members of Toronto City Council and Pride Toronto, as he raised the Pride flag and declared the month of June as Pride Month.

For the first time in it's 35-year history, the trans Pride flag was raised alongside the rainbow flag this afternoon as well. 

“This is an exciting, record-breaking year of firsts for North America’s biggest Pride celebration,” Aaron Glyn Williams, Pride Toronto Board of Directors Co-Chair, said in a press release issued Tuesday. “There isn’t a better time to honour the magnificent diversity of the trans community and tell the world that we will stand together to fight discrimination against the most vulnerable and marginalized within our community.”

This year’s celebrations will span over 33 days and includes the 10-day Pride Festival, which begins June 24, and the annual Pride Parade, which will take place on July 3.

It will also be the first time in Canada's history that the Mayor, the Premier and the Prime Minister all participate in the annual parade.

"Toronto is by far one of the most accepting communities around," said Chris Tremeer. "The expansion of Pride to Pride Month is just a fantastic way to profile them."

"We have 33 days of programming this year that is going to appeal to all categories across the community. We have programming for families, we have the human rights series that is running throughout the month as well as all of the conventional things we normally feature during the week -- culminating with the Pride Parade, the Trans March and the Dyke March on the one weekend," he said.

Earlier this month, Pride Toronto unveiled a huge list of events that will make up the month long festivities. The events will include a panel about human rights headlined by author Margaret Atwood, queer performances at the Art Gallery of Ontario and a concert headlined by DNCE with Joe Jonas at Yonge-Dundas Square.

Over 60 events are scheduled to take place over the course of June and into early July.