Montreal's Trans Pride Celebration Is This Weekend & Here's What You Can Look Forward To
Maybe this can fill the void from losing MTL gay pride...
Tranna Wintour poses in promotional material for Trans Pride. Right: A trans flag flying at a Berlin protest.
Montrealers may recall the "deplorable misunderstanding" that led to the cancellation of Montreal pride, but that doesn't mean queer celebrations are over until 2023. Aide aux trans du Quebec (ATQ), a trans advocacy and support organization, is holding a two-day trans pride bash with time for partying and for collective action.
It starts on Saturday, November 19 with a community day and LGBTQ market hosted at Bar le Cocktail. The event will be for all ages from 11 a.m. to three p.m., hosting community organizations and local entrepreneurs to sell trans-affirming products and share snacks.
Later that evening, at 9:30 p.m., there will be a dance party at the St-Hubert in the Gay Village, which will feature door prizes, performances and some surprises the organizers haven't revealed yet.
Sunday's events begin at one p.m. with a more serious tone to commemorate Trans Day of Remembrance, which is observed annually on November 20. Organizers invite attendees to gather with family, friends and "chosen family" to honour "those who disappeared in the year 2021 and until today." There will be coffee, tea and snacks, as well as the opportunity to speak.
The final show will be hosted at Ausgang Plaza, and will be artistically directed by the evening's host: Élira Néon, a self-proclaimed "trans microcelebrity" who is also an organizer of this year's celebrations. The closing ceremony will be a pay-what-you-can closing ceremony featuring a host of artists and performers from Montreal's queer and gender-diverse communities, including the inimitable Tranna Wintour.