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A photo of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney living it up at a recent Pride celebration went viral, showing the buttoned-up ex-Bank of England honcho in an embrace with a nearly naked man.

The straight-laced 60-year-old Liberal Party leader made a surprise appearance at Vancouver Pride this past weekend, mixing it up with the crowd and shaking hands amid a sea of rainbow flags.


  Canadian PM Mark Carney made a surprise appearance at Vancouver Pride last weekend, appearing with a drag queen along the parade route. AP Canadian PM Mark Carney made a surprise appearance at Vancouver Pride last weekend, appearing with a drag queen along the parade route. AP

The crowd cheered as Carney marched about three-quarters of a mile along the parade route, which began outside BC Place Stadium, before being handed a mic by a drag performer who towered over him.

Carney said Pride celebrates diversity in a “very positive way” and represents the “essence of Canada.”


  He was mingling with the crowd, including this man in a pink thong. REUTERS He was mingling with the crowd, including this man in a pink thong. REUTERS

While making the rounds at the parade, Reuters snapped a photo of Carney with his arm around a man wearing little more than a pink thong. Carney appears to force a smile as the man’s hirsute derrière catches the summer Vancouver air.

The awkward photo quickly went viral, with many on social media poking fun at Carney.

“Canada summed up in one picture. This is [why] Trump doesn’t take [Canada] seriously,” one X user quipped.


  Photos of the straight-laced ex-central bank chief went viral, with some poking fun at the PM for the cheeky shot. REUTERS Photos of the straight-laced ex-central bank chief went viral, with some poking fun at the PM for the cheeky shot. REUTERS

A large number of commenters raised doubts the picture was real, some questioning whether it was AI-generated.

In fact, both Reuters and Associated Press ran a series of the images leading up to the embrace itself.

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