Calgary Pride Parade 2011 will start from Olympic Plaza and will end at Shaw Millennium .The aim of organizing the parade is to encourage lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people to be proud of their gender identity and not to be ashamed of their sexual orientation. The basic idea is that sexual orientation and gender identity are something which is inherent and one cannot alter it at one’s will. The word “Pride” is an affirmation of one's self. 

LGBT persons have been oppressed throughout history. The "gay pride" movement originated in 1969 during the Stonewall riots. During these riots there were unconstitutional raids by New York City Police Department on gay people in local bars. The gay people fought back for their rights thereby giving the community the first sense of communal pride. What was initially an annual movement gradually gained momentum and became a national grassroots movement. 

The movement has now spread too many countries around the world and is no more restricted to any one nation. The pride movement works towards promoting the cause of gay rights and also to educate on issues important to LGBT communities. The Gay Pride movement also fights for equal "rights and benefits" for LGBT people. Some of the commonly used symbols which have traditionally been associated with the LGBT gay pride movement are: the LGBT rainbow flag, the butterfly, the Greek lambda symbol, and the pink and the black triangles.

The Calgary Gay Pride is well attended by a large number of people and has a strong turnout. The fact that the number of parade entries was roughly doubles that of last year, also highlights the growing popularity of the parade. Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi has been the grand marshal in the previous year’s gay pride parade,