Montréal Pride returns to its roots Sunday with political march in lieu of parade

After another year darkened by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Montréal Pride Festival has brought some vibrancy back into the city's streets. 

Overtaking the Village since Monday, this year's edition of festival programming has offered guests a mixed bag of in-person and online events celebrating 2SLGBTQI+ communities under the theme Together for All!

The celebrations include 120 events, with everything from art installations featuring local artists and drag performances on the streets of the Village in the city's east end, to live streamed DJ sets and large event screenings on the Esplanade of Montreal's Olympic Park.

But most anticipated of all is the Pride march — an adaptation of the festival's flagship event — which is returning in-person on Sunday after a one-year hiatus due to the pandemic.

In lieu of the traditional parade, which sees grand floats and vehicles decked out in Pride paraphernalia, organizers have planned a march to abide by COVID-19 health guidelines and to take the event back to its political roots.

"We're going back to how it all started in 1979, the first march in Montreal," said Jean-François Perrier, general director for Montréal Pride, describing the first march comprised of 52 people, which marked the 10th anniversary of the Stonewall riots.

"We have it in a simple way — back to the roots — by marching through the city."

Perrier says this format will offer more of a political edge for different communities to come together and have their voices heard. 

2SLGBTQI+ issues and beyond

Mathias (Maloose) Jolly, who goes by Maloose, is a two-spirited Cree Montrealer. He says he plans to march in support of other Indigenous people who fear coming out of the closet.

He's also aiming to raise awareness about the buried remains of Indigenous children that were recently found near Canadian residential schools. 

"This issue is very important and it cannot be silenced. It cannot be put aside," said Maloose.

Another group hoping to raise awareness during Sunday's march is Gay and Grey Montreal, a social group for English-speaking gay seniors.

Bruce Campbell, president and founder of the group, says the march will give members a platform to voice concerns about issues facing gay anglophone seniors, such as social housing and health care. 

"People who have gone through a whole history to affirm their identity now find themselves having to negate all that to find adequate housing," said Campbell, who described the discrimination that 2SLGBTQI+ people still face. 

He says gay English-speaking seniors also fear denial of health services due to their sexual orientation as well as their mother tongue. 

"We need to find doctors that are sensitive and aware of LGBTQ anglophone senior issues because we have a different history," he said. "That does not exist in this point in time." 

Montréal Pride encourages people to react to other issues and demands, including the fight against violence toward sexually diverse and gender-diverse communities, the fight to end injustices and discrimination toward Black, Indigenous, Arab, Asian and Latinx (a gender neutral replacement for Latino or Latina) people, and the unconditional recognition of all transgender and non-binary people. 

Perrier says all communities are welcome and are encouraged to attend the march on Sunday at 1 p.m. It will start at Jeanne-Mance Park on the mountain and run more than three and a half kilometres through the city to end in the Village.

Other festivities over the weekend

Other festivities are scheduled on Saturday and Sunday to close off the week-long festival. 

Saturday night will feature events such as a live streamed Latinx burlesque show. IconiX, a virtual show featuring the winners of reality TV show RuPaul's Drag Race, will be screened online and on the Casino de Montréal stage on the Olympic Park Esplanade and a circus cabaret event will also take place in the Jardin du Centre St-Jax.

On Sunday, a morning bike rally will take off to support people living with HIV/AIDS; a  drag brunch barbecue will be hosted in St-Henri; and a closing concert headlined by Montreal drag queen Rita Baga will be streamed live from Cabaret Lion d'Or on Facebook. 

Kiosks for multiple 2SLGBTQI+ organizations and community groups will line the streets of Sainte-Catherine Street East in the Village until Saturday. A number of bars, clubs and cafés will also host their own festivities outside of Montréal Pride's programming. 

The Montréal Pride Festival in Montreal runs from Aug. 9 to 15. Find a full schedule of events here.