June marks the start of Pride Season—a time to celebrate the voices, visibility, and contributions of 2SLGBTQI+ communities. We spoke with André-Marc Allain, Pier-Luc Paquet, and Paul Parkinson—officials and coaches who have made a lasting impact on the skating community. They reflect on the importance of representation in figure skating and the power of embracing your authentic self, both on and off the ice. 

How did you get involved in skating? 
André-Marc Allain: I’ve been involved in figure skating for almost 50 years. Like many young Canadian boys, my parents originally put me into hockey at age four and I did that for a year. I think it was the team dynamic that I didn’t care for, so I made the switch to CanSkate. I really enjoyed skating because I got to develop a variety of skills. 

Pier-Luc Paquet: I started skating when I was five years old, following the path of my two older sisters. At age 12 I started ice dancing and moved to Quebec City to train. After I stopped my career as an athlete, I got involved as a technical official. 

Paul Parkinson: I joined the CanSkate program a little older than most, at age 9 or 10, because my parents wanted me to be able to skate on the Ottawa canal. I progressed through the CanSkate program very quickly and within a couple years I was at junior nationals. In 2010 I began to compete for Italy and represented the country at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games.  

Why did you decide to become a coach/official? 
A-M: After retiring from skating, I knew I wanted to continue contributing to the sport. I grew up seeing my parents volunteering, so I wanted to give back and volunteer myself. I started judging during high school and now here we are 38 years later!   

P-L: When you are an athlete, you spend a lot of hours in the week skating. So, when I stopped competing, I couldn’t just throw figure skating out of my life because it’s my passion. And as a skater there were so many volunteers, coaches and people around me, so it was natural for me to want to give back to the sport. 

Paul: After I retired from competitive skating, I needed a break from figure skating. Once I fell into coaching, I rediscovered my passion for the sport. It was a way I could still be involved in the sport that I loved.  

How does identity play a role in figure skating? 
A-M: The sport of figure skating has had so many stereotypes of athletes. In the 1970s and 1980s it wasn’t OK to be gay. As an athlete there was this feeling that you had to hide your femininity and artistic layer so that you wouldn’t be perceived as gay. Skaters like John Curry and Toller Cranston brought a different light to skating. I remember when I was skating and just being like ‘Wow’- because they were such artists.   

P-L: When I was a skater, I was still finding myself, but it’s wonderful to see skaters now that can express themselves the way they want on the ice. It’s beautiful to see this and I think it can help reach others and shape the future. I think we are lucky because figure skating is really open minded. I have seen the other side of this in other areas of my life, so figure skating really helped my coming out.  

Paul: I came out at 19 and my coaches had expressed that after this, while skating I didn’t look restricted. I think when you are in the process of figuring out who you are, you don’t have that freedom. So, once I started coming out, I was more free on the ice to move in certain ways because I wasn’t worried about being judged.  

Why is 2SLGBTQI+ representation in sport important? 
A-M: We need to embrace and celebrate the differences. People are unique because they are who they are, and we should celebrate this. My parents instilled in me at a very young age to be my authentic self and not to let others dim your sparkle. Whether in my skating career or in my professional life, I have chosen not to be a bystander. Because of this I have often felt like I am standing on a ledge on my own. I am so proud to be associated with a federation who has their own understanding that sometimes you have to be the first one to stand on the ledge to be able to effect change. 

P-L: It’s important to be yourself and know that you don’t have to fit into a box. It’s important to share the (Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility) work that has been done at Skate Canada with other organizations. People should be themselves and we should continue to make a place for all people and to listen to them because sometimes we assume we know but to ask questions with respect and learn from the answers helps us grow. It is great to be part of the EDIA work at Skate Canada, like attending sessions where I get to hear perspectives from others in the community. I really like what Skate Canada is doing-  it helps people to grow and others to accept it.  

Paul: When you are able to be who you are in a high-level position, there is always a young kid who may see that and see that you can be comfortable with who you are, and it doesn’t negatively affect certain aspects of your life. When I was a skater, it wasn’t something that athletes really talked about at a high level. Now there are more out athletes that are sharing their stories. Young skaters can see that however they want to express themselves, there is a place for them. When people share their stories, it helps younger athletes process their own journey and know they are not alone in what they are going through. 

Skate Canada has committed to making figure skating a place where all people are welcomed. Efforts include removing gender barriers in team definitions, our trans inclusion protocol and fostering ongoing conversations around diversity and inclusion. Visit our EDIA page for more information. 

André-Marc Allain is an Olympic level qualified judge with Skate Canada. Recently, he has been awarded the King Charles III Coronation medal for 38 years of volunteer service and advocacy for the 2SLGBTQI+ community.  

Pier-Luc Paquet is a former competitive skater who competed in ice dance at the Canadian national level and formerly represented Quebec on the Skate Canada Board of Directors. He is currently a technical official.  

Paul Parkinson is a former competitive skater who competed at the Canadian junior national level and represented Italy at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. He now is a registered coach for Skate Canada and has coached several athletes to the national level.