Even though Pride Week in Ottawa is a festive celebration, it's also a time for more serious causes. That's why more than 100 people gathered Friday night at McNabb Park for a march dedicated to the transgender, two-spirited, and gender non-conforming communities.

It was the second such march during this year's Capital Pride, which wraps up this weekend. The atmosphere was warm as families with young children and elders mingled with crowds of protesters waving flags and placards.

Though Pride Week recognizes all members of the LGBT community, members of the trans community said they felt they needed a dedicated space of their own to express and assert themselves.

"This is one of the only spaces during Pride that is only for [trans people] and allows us to be ourselves. It's not corporate, it's not a party," Cayce Ainsworth told Radio-Canada at the march.

"For the trans community, which has been very marginalized ... these kinds of events are crucial," Ainsworth said.

Ainsworth, who does not identify as a man or woman, helped organize the event for Pride Week. Ainsworth said that even within the LGBT community, transgender people often face discrimination. Read more via CBC