It’s final: The 2007 edition of Montreal’s Gay Pride parade is cancelled."I’m terribly disappointed there won’t be a parade this year," says Jacques Tricot, spokesperson for Célébration de la Fierté LGB2T de Montréal, which earlier this year replaced Divers/Cité as organizer of Montreal’s Pride parade and community day, "but there is no alternative."
After a CROP survey reported 76 per cent of festival-goers don’t go to the parade, and 25 per cent of parade-goers don’t attend the rest of the festival, Divers/Cité – after years battling Gay Village merchants who wanted more control and thus, observers point out, reap more profits – decided to offload their expensive (read: insurance and security) Pride parade.
Célébration de la Fierté LGB2T de Montréal was formed and June 16 chosen as the parade’s new date. But the City of Montreal refused a parade permit for June 16. At a mid-April board meeting, Célébration de la Fierté LGB2T de Montréal agreed on possible new dates (end of May and beginning of September). But Tricot says community groups also demanded the board resign to make way for new, democratically elected board members.
Ironically, in 1993, Montreal gay activists placed bets on how few marchers would attend Divers/Cité’s inaugural parade. Against all odds, 5,000 people showed up. In 2003 attendance topped 1.2 million.
In a last-ditch bid to save the 2007 parade, Tricot says Divers/Cité was asked to organize the parade one last time. "But they refused to take it on as [their board] had already made a decision."
Instead, Divers/Cité will continue as a gay cultural festival and celebrates its 15th edition Aug. 1 to 5.
But Montreal is not alone: At press time, NYC’s 2007 Pride parade was also cancelled because New York won’t grant a parade permit for June 23 instead of June 24.
Meanwhile, in Montreal, a meeting to save the 2008 parade is tentatively scheduled for the end of June. Says Tricot, "It’s upsetting. But sometimes you have to take a step back to move forward."
45 comments
I never went to the Gay Pride parade. I also never bother going to the Saint Patrick or Santa Claus parades which are longer established and have a fine tradition. The only parade I would bother attending is the Stanley Cup parade down Saint-Catherine Street. I was there to watch our star hockey players including Patrick Roy in 1986 and 1993. I hope I do not have to wait too long till the next one!
It is a shame that this event has been canceled. I am not gay but have always enjoyed, the colours, the glitter and the freedom of expression from everyone. Everybody is happy and it shows in their costumes and their overall joy of being gay. I will miss this event and hope that we will be able someday to see this in Montreal. In the past years, Montreal gay parade has brought out such a crowd and it is just a shame for the gay community as well as for the people like me who enjoy a really good show.
I wonder if this is a step back because of the brand of federal politics we have never mind the insurance and budget costs. Coincidently, Harper is a bible book waver and a poor supporter of gay games and Hiv controls so I am sure he is delighted to know that same sex parades are off his map. I think that as long as there is some representation we aren’t taking a step back completely but we are also preventing gay village owners from reaping their profits and indirectly affecting the tourists that like to see demonstrated diversity which what the parade amounts to. Now there are artists that have incorporated some photos of the parade into their art or come for photo shoots, which is one slight spin off from parades at an artistic level but then again why not instill other types of parades to bring in the tourist dollars if homophobia is an issue?Anyway a cultural festival is better than no celebration at all, the situation could have been worse.
I have to admit the Pride Parade has long been on my to do list, but I never had the chance to go…I was usually out of town. I am quite dismayed that I may never get to partake in these festivities. I am shocked and find it shameful that this event is being removed from Montreal’s festival schedule as we are known to be such an open diverse and flamboyant city!
It’s shocking to know that there will be no parade this year. Especially in a city that supports the gay and lesbian communities so much as Montreal does, it’s a shame. I can’t quite understand why people would go to the festival and not to the parade? It seems to me that the parade is more significant and media-efficient than the isolated events of the festival, so if we should opt for one or the other, I would vote for the parade.
This is the first time in my life that I heard of the Gay Pride Parade being canceled… also canceled in New York City. Honestly people, why allow something one day, then change your mind about it afterwards? It doesn’t need to be this complex, there are clearly enough supporters from the general public to make the Pride 2007 more than possible. Some pompous board-meeting technicalities, and awkward statistics on the status quo, have unfortunately led to the demise of the Village’s favorite parade. Although this will no doubt affect the gay community, it also bothers me. I am a supporter of free love, no matter the sexes involved, and an active collaborator to the Village now for many years. We should all support each other in our divided (yet multicultural) world… not hindering of special privileges! This sort of regressive behavior puts same sex marriages and gay support on the back burner for awhile longer. I hope the suits in office resolve this issue for next year, so we can put such negativity and nonsense behind us. Everybody party, come on!
Wow, I’d never thought I’d see the day. Years ago, I was scratching my head to figure out why such a parade was even necessary. Then a few friends brought me to watch. It was colourful as heck, racy as all get out in places and friendly as a pub. Is it necessary? NECESSARY? What crazy person applies that word to a parade? One year, I played drums with a group that decided to march in the parade. I was officially stiff with nerves. It was one thing to watch and appreciate and hum along with acceptance and another to find yourself looking out into waves of people, all sweaty with the heat. Obviously, not everyone in the crowd was gay; not everyone marching was gay. But there we all were. Was that kind of demonstration of support & diversity necessary? Yeah, much more often. Gay dads and politicians. Mothers and students, dancers and jugglers and activists and musicians. Is it for everyone? No. Was anyone forced to go? No. That was the thrill.
It’s too bad that it had to be canceled, People seem to try so hard to set this up and it was an amazing show they did in the first year they organized it. But to be honest, I think a parade should be only about holidays or like Stephen mentioned a rare trophy that can be one, once every so often, and not about your pride. I’m not gay, but i do have many friends who are. They agree with me..well most do!! It was great when they first created the parade and it was good enough!! People don’t need to show off there pride, why bother? Fine your gay, good for you, I’m happy that your happy (that your gay)!! It’s not like we do a straight parade every year!! I’m proud to be straight but i don’t off and partying every year and say hey i’m straight!! WOOHOO…. Gay or not parades are for holidays/Victory celebrations but not about your pride.
If they can succeed on making another one in ’08 good for them, I’ll check it on T.V. not on the streets.
I went to the Gay Pride parade only once in 2006 with my friends. We met a guy from Asia for the parade and I realized that this event really meant something to them. To be honest, I don’t understand gays very much but I could see their happy faces in the pride. There are many parades in Montreal every year, but why only this one is canceled? Hope it is not related to any prejudice. I am disappointed about the cancellation. Montreal is a very special city for its freedom and we should always show our welcome to other people.
what?!?! why? well first off, I’m not gay(just to let ppl know), but parades are a great thing to have, to celebrate anything and its just a happy thing to go to! I went to one before with a bunch of my friends and it was a great experience! Fun too!
The parade should be canceled just because of the majority of people going to it dropped or any other reason, it should still go on for the people who want to go for their fun! About the money thing, then set up some fund raisers or donation boxes or what not, just like how schools raise money for their fun field trips to where they want to go! And also, let the people who didn’t go before go so they can experience the parade for their first time!
Divers/cite made a huge mistake the past two years changing the parade time and date. from the traditional Sunday afternoon parade , closing out the weeks events to a night parade held in the middle of the week. The first year it was held on a MONDAY NIGHT! the second year a Thursday, no wonder they lost money! Corporate sponsors are not going to put up the big bucks to advertise to less than half the amount of people present at the parade. Also they changed the route from going through practically all of downtown to a route that remained in the village…where is the visibility in that?
Are people aware that for years divers/cite has paid out thousands of dollars for its board members to travel to other pride events all over the world to promote Montreal pride. I really don’t think that a handful of people going to San Fransisco pride costing loads of cash is a good investment…then again the board, to the best of my knowledge does not hold elections or general meetings , and if they do they are certainly not advertised well, so really they have no one to answer to on how they spend their money.
Divers/cite is a business, they cut their expenses, cut the parade, and “outsourced” it. They win, they community loses. If divers/cite still held the community at heart, they would cut a couple of acts from sex garage, a couple of hours from the T-dance and a few trips to san fran, unfortunately they don’t seem to hold the same “pride” as i do.
If they dare blame this on the village clubs and bars I will flip out completely,for too many reasons to list here.
I am saddened that there is no longer a parade, an event that filled me with pride and the knowledge that i was not alone when I was first coming out. It is a shame that the queer youth of today will not have the same opportunity.
As much as i am irritated by dives/cite’s actions. It also didn’t help that the city of Montreal cut $50,000 of funding to the event, poop on them :)
I’ve lived in Montreal for 17 years now, my entire life, and the Gay Pride parade has always been something I’ve been used to seeing every year. I’m not entirely sad that its cancelled this year but it is disappointing to see a lifelong ( at least as long as my life ) tradition be thrown down the drain. Montreal is know for its many festivals, parades and celebrations and this is one that makes my city what it is. It is also a shame because it is a symbol of our acceptance of all sexual orientations. I hope that they will reconsider there decision for next year but I trust they know what they’re doing.
The money losing Gay Games and now the parade cancellation has given the Montreal Gay community a black eye as one of the leading Gay cities in the world. Recently one of the largest and popular restaurants in the Gay village went under and there was a rejection of possibly renaming the metro station in the area Gay Village stop. Now Gay marriage is legal and everyone accepts being Gay as a way of lifestyle choice for anyone, it is now ordinary to see Gay couples anywhere. Being Gay is normal in Montreal and no special attention should be given in the form of a parade it seems. Gays are living everywhere in the Montreal area not just the Gay Village.
I do think it is sad in many aspects, but in many it may be for the best. I mean it might be a step forward for the gay community, a step towards totally “fitting in” per say. People in general in Montreal have become more and more accepting and open when it comes to this topic. There is no heterosexual pride parade, although I am sure people are just as proud to be of that orientation. I think people who have are of the homosexual orientation should pat themselves on the back for all that they have achieved and accomplished to-date and they should feel comfortable enough in their skin in Montreal to not need a parade to make them feel proud of themselves. Their accomplishments in this society and others speak for themselves. Yes sure it is lots of fun (after all it is still a festival) but in terms of decreasing the level of alienation or “feeling of not fitting in” for homosexuals in society it could be counter-active at this point in time because of the progress they have made as a community.
I have been to several gay pride parades over the years… the best of course being on St.Denis street. Rene Levesque is a lousy street for a parade anyway… it was fun to watch people on their balconies watching the parade, sometimes bewildered by the whole thing… Night parade, well that didn’t really work for me.
Closing off the area around Berri and St. Catherine and in village is just fine… it will save the organizers some money and will not disturb traffic. No need to cry… a smaller “mardi gras” type parade on foot would be fine.
Of course the 2007 edition of Montreal’s Gay Pride parade is cancelled, doesn’t the fact that coverage of this news item is almost entirely downplayed and that when a journalist does raise his or her voice it happens to belong to someone who’s already openly gay? In the grander scheme of things I get why the Gay Pride parade is important to have but most people just don’t give a damn. Maybe it’s the truth, maybe it’s the perception, whatever it is it’s indicative of a fundamental split between that did the parade in. Richard Burnett, the Hour’s gay point man, wrote this article. Not someone else. Most everywhere, in print, TV or radio it’s the point men and women that are raising hell over this while everyone else is dead silent. Burnett’s heart might be in the right place but unless someone besides him steps up, someone that doesn’t have an emotional investment in this, unless that happens in print, TV and radio then nothing is going to change. If the establishment and the people say comforting but empty things and do little else then the people trying to raise awareness are doing little more than holding their ground, not gain any.
Much like it’s losing bids for the Olympics and other such things like saving the Expos, Montreal fails to rally together to maintain yet another city mainstay. While I’m not the most avid gay pride supporter(honestly I could care less) it’s the fact that our city went down in defeat once again that gets me. It’s tough to say who dropped the ball here exactly, but if so many people are upset about this, why didn’t they do more? We were able to save the Grand Prix…maybe people just do care enough to do something…
I’m supposed to care about this? The Gay Pride parade means nothing to me and it never has. I know that I should care because that’s the ‘in’ thing to do these days, caring about gay issues, gay parades and whatever else is skipping my mind right now. It’s not happening? To me all this means is one less needles traffic hassle.
It is truly is a shame to see the parade is canceled this year. The parade brought a lot of people together for a good cause, both gay and non gay. Divers/Cité I guess is to blame for this, since the almighty dollar is what affected their decision. I hope to see the parade next year, and know that next years parade will make up for this year’s lack of a parade. Kudos to Mr. Tricot for doing his best to try and organize a parade this year.
I’ve never been to this parade nor would i really want to go, so for me okay if 75% of the people aren’t showing okay maybe they should throw a smaller thing, like
the annual gay ho down or something, i dunno. i do feel kinda bad for all those gay people who like to do their thing and go to the parade, so really what matters is that most of the gay community is showing up not so important if the rest of the community doesn’t show up. then thats really small amount of people showing up i guess, so maybe somehow these gay festivities can be more ‘straight people friendly’…like for example im sure a lot of straight people would go if they had something like i dunno gay boxing(LOL) and YES… hot lesbian’s, people would definitely go. i hope i didn’t offend anyone, and i hope these events don’t actually already exist(if so they need to be advertised).
So they went and cancelled the Gay Parade!?! Wow, can’t believe that they can’t put their petty profiteering ways aside to maintain a parade which is arguably the most colourful, inclusive and gloriously over-the-top that we’ve got! It just goes to show you, though, just how mainstream and corporate the Village and it’s business interests have become as well as how much power, money, and influence that they wield!
Maybe a lot of people in recent years, have been turned off by the image that the parade presents being gay as. The parade is great fun, but if I was gay, and not super-flamboyant, queeny or all about Judy Garland – I’d probably have a distaste for it. For me, I “get” it, but I’m sure for a lot of others, it’s an image they much rather not associate themselves with.
I can understand the parade being cancelled. parades are old-fashioned. i think the gay pride events need to change and evolve with time. the parade was a great staple for many years, but its time has passed. we should focus on making what we have left important.
THE GAY PARADE WAS AND STILL IS the pinnacle of our struggle as human beings with same sex orientation that have been SCORNED, KILLED, RIDICULED, BEATEN, DENIED, TOSSED OUT BY OUR OWN FAMILIES, FIRED FROM OUR JOBS, LABELLED PERVERTS AND A HOST OF OTHER UNFOUNDED AND DISGUSTING NAMES AND MOCKARIES FOR YEARS AND STILL TO THIS DAY. The idea that a “poll” to measure how “profitable” the parade was found not to be sickens me, to think that our values as Gay Men and Women depend solely on profit and NOT a celebration of our STRUGGLES and VICTORIES visible for ALL TO SEE is tantamount to going back into the closet and denying who we were and WHO WE ARE. FUCK DIVERSCITE and their capitalist stupidity if the Gay, Lesbian, Bi, Transgendered “Community” of Montreal respected themselves and their right to be visible they’d have their OWN PARADE and oust those bumbling ASSHOLES on the Board of Directors (who are not elected democratically I might ad) and MARCH down the city streets to commemorate all those who have gone before them and still remain Crusaders for the rights they now have today, which can easily be taken away in the heartbeat of a new and rising Conservative sentiment. RISE UP PEOPLE!
This parade has been fucked up since the beginning..Instead of celebrating the official anniversary of stonewall..Divers had started on there own path and see where it finally got them..Good..Too many queens bickering and bull dykes fighting and now all flushed down the toilet like a fruit salade gone bad…
I had been in the parade one year and was so embarassed..Why were people looking at me up on the float as something strange and different..no celebration in that..Standing out in the crowd and watching you got to see a bunch of girly boys and boyish girls parade around because they couldn’t accept them selves as individuals but as something wacko different..
Grow up people Being Gay does not mean a way of live or difference..Being gay is being happy for who you are..And not want you want to be..Stop acting so different from society because there is no respect in that…
Gay pride parade, Stanley Pup parade, all the same. Why do we need parade, or any kind of demonstration to prove to ourselves that we exist? If I was gay, I would be ashamed of such a demonstration in the street. Not all gays do S & M stuff, not all of them are drag queen. They are the one who bring stereotypes on them.
Montreal’s Gay Pride used to be one of the most amazing things you could attend in the summer months. Now, because of complete mismanagement and the powers that be not even listening to the Montreal Gay community, we are on the verge of having no Pride at all.
It was announced that the BBCM, along with some other local groups, will secure a parade for July 29th. No thanks to the organizers at Divers/Cite.
Whatever their reasons are, we all know that Divers/Cite lost all supports from Village merchants when they demanded profit-sharing years back…and right there, they should have thought “oops” and bent over backwards to appease them. But no.
It continued on to even flipping the finger at BBCM and their Twist weekend and then ruining the parade all together by shifting it to a Monday night, not caring that would make thousands loose interest. What were these people thinking?
Then they decide it would be a good idea to just not bother have a parade at all.
I really hope that the BBCM et al can somehow salvage the situation by making Twist more than just a party weekend, but doing their best to make it more of a Pride weekend. I will come out in full force to support that. Furthermore, I will definitely not be showing Divers/Cite any support as they have slowly but surely killed off one of the best Prides in North America and I hope many follow my footsteps. Without any thought to the community Pride is supposed to try to bring together, they ripped it apart and have now left us with nothing.
They should be ashamed of themselves and the gay community should show them no support, in the hopes that a new Pride governing body can bubble up, replace everything, and restore Pride to it’s glory of a Sunday afternoon parade with 1 million spectators, and let everyone, including the Village merchants, profit from a yet-again Best Pride in North America weekend.
Until then, I will be off to Toronto, where they really know how to throw a parade.
I do wonder how many among us has actually ever attended the parade. While I am saddened that such an integral part of the festivities are missing this year I do hope that there is some sense restored and that this will not occur again next year. Some of us would like to see the parade at some point in their lives!
To be honest, being gay has suddenly became a little overrated. Who cares about the lifestyle they choose to lead? Some people will just have to learn to accept it and deal with it. Maybe I am just not a parade party person because if any other parade was canceled, I’d probably couldn’t care less. It’s not like I would attend it either way so there is really no point in freaking out.
I’m not sure this is such a bad thing. In its heyday, the parade was broadcast live on TQS like the Santa Claus parade at Christmas, and I always felt like it was seen as a big fat freak show. Drag queens and beefcakes in leather on a boat weren’t quite the best way to represent the gay community. That being said, I understand the need to get together and act crazy for a couple of nights in the summer. It just seems like being gay in this country is not so terrible and as hard as it used to be. There is much work to be done toward reaching complete acceptance rather than “tolerance”, but I think the need for the parade no longer exists.
I’m really surprised by some people’s responses on here about the parade being cancelled and not caring because it doesn’t mean anything to them. If you simply don’t like parades then fine, but come on people, the gay pride parade and festivities were a great party whether you were gay or straight. You can either be a voyeur or participate. People’s phobias really come out when people’s main response is who cares rather than questioning why permits are not being granted in major cities like Montreal and NYC. The lack of people showing up could have something to do with lack of creativity on promoters part, but the lack of fundage given by the government is cause for concern in my opinion.
Well, it appears that all hope isn’t lost after all. I read a small blurb in the Gazette to the effect that there will be a Pride parade after all – tentatively some time in late July. Keep your fingers crossed ’cause the makeshift coalition formed to resuscitate it has a long of work to do between now and then – not the least of which is some significant PR and goodwill schmoozing.
Pride changes people. Frankly I think the events held in and around the closed off section of Berri Street are far more entertaining than any Pride parade I have seen in Montreal. As the CROP survey indicates in the article the majority of those who are interested in the festival events don’t go to the parade at all.
What flies in Montreal has always seemed to be a little different from other cities. The parade is expensive and really is not a core event of the Divers/Cite festival. If they have to drop it – fine. It never really worked anyways. I would be far more upset if they chose to drop a few hours from the dance or acts from the stage shows as suggested by some posters. Those are the core of the D/C events.
I agree that Toronto knows how to throw a parade, but Montreal knows how to have a party!
The best opinion piece I have read concerning a pride parade may be located in the book by Dan Savage – Skipping Towards Gomorrah available for borrowing at the Grande Bib. Nationale du Quebec , call number 306.0973 S263s 2002.
When I was in the closet I used to resent Pride Parades. I used to think, like many others, that it doesn’t make sense to flaunt your identity in front of others who do not do the same. (i.e. “we don’t have ‘straight’ parades”). Since then I have grown to understand why Pride parades are so important. When you are a minority, and are regularly subjected to derogatory comments from a society that is not as accepting as some believe, it is necessary to stand up and be proud of who you are.
If you don’t believe that homophobia or heterosexism is still rampant in North America, just think about the current, oh so popular phrase “That’s so gay!” Perhaps it isn’t meant to directly insult or hurt people, but when you are the closeted gay kid in your high school hallway, hearing such negative connotations will likely contribute to that kid’s anxiety about accepting their true identity. We are much closer to acceptance than we used to be, but we are still not there!
A community coming together in celebration of their identity strengthens other individual’s ability to come out of hiding and and accept themselves. You do not have to have much in common with the flamboyant drag queens that make the front page of the city newspaper to be part of pride. You just need to have an acceptance for diversity and the willingness to show that you are proud of who you are, despite what others may think.
I am sorry to hear of the problems in Montreal regarding gay pride. I can’t blame Divers Cite if the poll is correct in citing that 75% of festival attendees do not attend the parade. If Village merchants want more profit, maybe they should organize a parade.
Regarding NYC…the pride parade was never in jeopardy…it is always the last Sunday in June. The PRIDEFEST has been cancelled. Organizers wanted to move it from the Village to Chelsea and hold it the day before the parade. City officials said no to both requests for various reasons. Now it is too late to have it anywhere. So if you like parades come to NYC; if you like festivals go to Montreal! I will do both. Vive le difference!
Although they may be a minority, they should still be entitled to their big bash.
My Friend Billy King Wont be too Happy!
It is sad to see that this is happening but as with most of the Pride festivals around the world. It is becoming way too geared towards commercialism and less towards what we are parading for.
The whole idea behind the pride parade is to be proud of whom we are and not of what form of alcohol is good for the “Gays” or what airline should gay people use….or any of the other commercialized float that goes along in the parade…IT’S ABOUT US BEING PROUD OF WHO WE ARE! And just reminding people that “We are here, we are Queer! And we are a PROUD group of people!”
Why not just go back to the beginning and parade people! People of different ethnic backgrounds, cultures and lives all standing side by side walking hand n hand and showing others that “We are happy who we are and not going to change for anyone!”
That is what TRUE PRIDE is about! Being yourself!
Well then their are a great deal of minorities in this city who are constantly discriminated against every single day!!! People who can’t rent apartments because of their culture, who can’t get a job because of their accent or last name! Let’s get the African American parade going, and what day is the Asian parade again? What about the middle eastern parade? Oh! ya there aren’t any! I have nothing against anyone nor any minority group or majority group for that matter, what I do have a problem with is the hypocrisy of those who classify themselves as a minority and being discriminated against as such but who they themselves turn around and discriminate other minorities! People should focus on the real base problem which is discrimination itself, let’s have a stop the discrimination parade, because trust me even though there is inter-minority group discrimination there is also intra-minority group discrimination.
Oh well… no parade, regardless I can’t wait to get out of Iqaluit, Nunavut to come to Montreal… to celebrate PRIDE. The long August weekend with friends and spending time with your extended gay family is what makes the weekend become filled with memories that will last the rest of your life. I remember attending the parade in 2004 and 2006 once in the daytime and once at night… been there did that… have the pictures!!!
I attended your celebration last year and was amazed to see St. Catherine St. closed off for ten consecutive days. In my head I applauded your mayor and sent him a thank you letter when I got home to tell him how much I had enjoyed myself. Sitting on patios eating wonderful food I marveled at the number of different people walking the streets. An elderly couple, he in a white linen suit and panama hat, using a cane and leaning on his wife’s arm. She was equally well dressed. It warmed my heart to see these folks amongst this celebration. Sunday night when we made our way over to Rene Levesque boulevard for the parade we were enchanted by the lights on the floats, the fire eaters, the gay dancers and the exquisite drag. It was marvelous and we were not standing in the heat of the noon day sun as we do in Toronto. My thoughts??? How civilized! I am sorry there will be no parade this year as it certainly was a highlight of my trip to Montreal Pride. As I flew home my thoughts were, Toronto’s pride is okay, but this was just so much better. Will I still come? Well I guess I will have to think about that over the next forty-eight hours. I know it will be good, but not quite so special without the parade.
This was posted for a while… Yet I’m a bit surprised I didn’t hear more about it…
Like, For real! I just knew it’s canceled… LOL, Not that I care or something… I never went to any sort of parade (oh wait, Carifiesta count doesn’t it) Actually, I’m just replying to this cause it’s a bit funny when I told a foreign friend that there are several things in summer in Mtl, he replied like “the gay parade…”
This might sound a bit anti-gay, but anyway… For real, This parade took quite a place in the news when it happened. Well, the press will have to find something else to brag about…Too bad I won’t be seeing any hot lesbos, oh wait they basically only showed drags or something…
Im absolutly against prejudism! “ALTHOUGH” my friend, ask for a drink in a gay bar and they refused to served HER!!! After they”ve been fighting for sssssssssoooooooo…. long to be recognized! I dont get it! BUT, i for my self believe, that everyones should have a CHANCE to express themselves! THEY DID!!!!
The biggest mistake they made was changing from the daytime to the nightime. I have attended the GAY PRIDE PARADE from the very beginning and have been in a number of times and it always was a smashing success until they changed it to the nightime and also changed location soon after the attendance began to dwindle down at a rapid rate. Alot of people enjoyed the sunday afternoon outing to see the parade. I think they should put in back the way it was (sunday afternoon) and go back to the old parade route . If you agree write to the parade committee.
[...] Montreal Gay Pride parade cancelled – Hour CommunityMay 17, 2007 … Photo: Richard Burnett. It’s final: The 2007 edition of Montreal’s Gay Pride parade is cancelled."I’m terribly disappointed there won’t be a parade … [...]
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