Montreal's Pride March Will Be In Person This Year — But Don't Expect A Parade

The Montréal Pride Festival aka fierté montréal announced today that its main attraction, "The Pride March," will be back in person this year — one of the city's first physical gatherings in support of the LGBTQ2+ communities since the beginning of the pandemic.

But don't expect a typical Montreal Pride Parade complete with vehicles, floats, dancers, and all the usual festivities. According to a press release, the current health context does not allow for a traditional parade. 

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However, Montréal Pride says holding a march "returns to the roots of the Pride movement by handing back the public space to participating communities," specifically focusing on amplifying the voices of diverse sexual and gender communities that were "made close to invisible" during the pandemic. 

"The first demonstration in favor of the Montréal 2SLGBTQI+ communities’ rights was held in 1979, organised by the Pink Brigade [...] with 52 marchers participating," said Jean-François Perrier, interim director of the Montréal Pride Festival, in a statement. 

"It is therefore with great pride that we confirm [...] a unifying activity open to all that will allow the advocacy and community aspects of the festival to shine."

The Pride March will take place on August 15 and will depart from Jeanne-Mance Park at 1 p.m. 

You can find Montréal Pride's full program of activities for the 2021 festival on its website. 

This article's cover photo was used for illustrative purposes only.