Montreal LGBTQ+ community sees competing Pride parades
Marc Venne, 72, said he attended the very first Montreal Pride parade 20 years ago. In recent years, he said he has noticed a rise in homophobia.
Montreal's LGBTQ+ community witnessed the coexistence of two Pride parades in the city. The traditional Montreal Pride, organized by Fierté Montréal, and Wild Pride, organized by leftist LGBTQ+ groups, marched through the city on separate occasions. Geneviève Gagnon, a regular attendee of Montreal Pride with her children, expressed her happiness for her daughter Florence's coming out as pansexual.
Marc Venne, a long-time Pride attendee, noticed a decline in the city's acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community. Organizers of Montreal Pride beefed up security after a deadly attack at Berlin Pride, as homophobia has risen in recent years. Wild Pride, which aimed to bring Pride back to its roots, protested corporate sponsorship, police presence, and colonialism.
Both parades emphasized the importance of being visible and advocating for LGBTQ+ rights. Wild Pride organizer Samya Lemrini, however, criticized Montreal Pride for becoming more of a party than a platform for activism. The LGBTQ+ community rallied together despite the differences, celebrating their diverse identities and remembering their history.
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