Comedian wants everyone to come out and party during Pride

Pardon the pun, but it’s pretty hard to keep a straight face when talking with comedian Trevor Boris.

The stand-up comic and MuchMusic on-air talent is naturally warm and witty as he talks about his weekend plans, which include an MC gig at Sunday’s outdoor festival and concert to celebrate Pride Week.

“I’m really excited to come to Ottawa for Pride, but I’m hoping it’s going to be a bit more than three or four of us on one float being pulled by a tractor,” Boris jokes.

“That would be sad. We want Ottawa to be a big party town this weekend so everyone just has a ton of fun.”

Though he’s full of confidence now when he appears on stage and on TV as host of shows like Video On Trial and Stars Gone Wild, the Winnipeg native says being a comedian wasn’t what he envisioned he would be doing with his life.

“When I was younger I was the shyest, most awkward teenager ever. If pictures of me then ever made it on the Internet nobody would consider me cool anymore,” says Boris.

But, one day, while watching a hypnotist in Winnipeg, who was coincidentally named The Incredible Boris, he got called on stage to be part of the show. He soon realized he felt at home and loved the attention from the audience.

“I knew I couldn’t travel with a hypnotist for the rest of my life, so a friend kind of encouraged me to try stand-up and it clicked.”

Since moving to Toronto four years ago, Boris has seen his career flourish. And though he’s open and proud of who he is, he says he’s never really considered himself a role model or spokesperson for the gay community.

“When I’m on TV as a gay man I’m never really thinking about working for the cause or breaking down barriers. I’m just trying to do what I do and have fun.”

And having fun is exactly what he’s looking forward to — and what he wants everyone in Ottawa to look forward to — when Pride wraps up this weekend.

After a parade that winds its way past Parliament Hill and down Elgin Street to City Hall, festivities continue well into the night with performances from Dragon Ritual Drummers, DJ Jesse James, The Habit, Kelly and the Kelly Girls and The Cliks.