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“Originally, pride was a protest, and it’s still a feeling today.”
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August 7, 2022 • 5 minutes ago • 4 minutes read • 17 comments People march on Ste-Catherine St. in Montreal’s Gay Village area on Sunday, August 7, 2022 after the cancellation of the Pride parade. Photo by John Kenney /Montreal Gazette
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Despite the cancellation of Montreal’s Pride parade, hundreds of people took to the streets of downtown on Sunday to celebrate sexuality and gender diversity.
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Participants, carrying multicolored flags, gathered in Dorchester Square in the early afternoon, at the same meeting point originally planned for the parade. Music was playing in the place. They then headed towards Place Émilie-Gamelin, in the midst of a festive atmosphere.
Montreal police escorted the protesters and kept the streets clear on their way.
Montreal Pride executive director Simon Gamache confirmed the cancellation of the parade for security reasons Sunday morning, saying the organization was short of 80 people, most of whom had been assigned to close streets alongside the police.
“That’s huge,” he said, adding that it represented more than a third of the staff needed, as about 200 volunteers were expected.
He said the cancellation was the result of multiple factors, including cases of COVID-19 during the week, multiple possible cases of heat stroke and fatigue among volunteers who had contributed on previous days.
Other people who said they would help had not shown up at previous events, Gamache said, leading organizers to conclude they would not be present at the parade.
“The Montreal Pride is not immune to HR issues,” Gamache added. He said another event could be organized to replace the parade.
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Laurence Hanley, left, and Fanilou Laniel Gauld speak for many in the crowd at Ste-Catherine St. in Montreal’s Gay Village area on Sunday, August 7, 2022 during a march following the cancellation of the Pride parade. Photo by John Kenney /Montreal Gazette
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Artist Gazoline Burlesque walks down Sherbrooke St. East in Montreal on Sunday, August 7, 2022. This was during a protest march that took place after the cancellation of the Pride Parade. Photo by John Kenney /Montreal Gazette
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People raise their arms in silence as they walk down St-Laurent Blvd. in Montreal on Sunday, August 7, 2022. This was during a protest march that took place after the cancellation of the Pride Parade. Photo by John Kenney /Montreal Gazette
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A man hangs a flag in a park in Plateau Mont-Royal in Montreal on Sunday, August 7, 2022. This was during a protest march that took place after the cancellation of the Pride parade . Photo by John Kenney /Montreal Gazette
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People march on Ste-Catherine St. in Montreal’s Gay Village area on Sunday, August 7, 2022. This was during a protest march that took place after the cancellation of the Pride Parade. Photo by John Kenney /Montreal Gazette
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People march on Ste-Catherine St. in Montreal’s Gay Village area on Sunday, August 7, 2022 after the cancellation of the Pride parade. Photo by John Kenney /Montreal Gazette
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People march on Ste-Catherine St. in Montreal’s Gay Village area on Sunday, August 7, 2022. This was during a protest march that took place after the cancellation of the Pride Parade. Photo by John Kenney /Montreal Gazette
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Nina Brébant at Place Émilie-Gamelin in Montreal on Sunday, August 7, 2022, before an impromptu march in response to the cancellation of the Pride parade. Photo by John Kenney /Montreal Gazette
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People march on Ste-Catherine St. in Montreal’s Gay Village area on Sunday, August 7, 2022. This was during a protest march that took place after the cancellation of the Pride Parade. Photo by John Kenney /Montreal Gazette
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People march on Ste-Catherine St. in Montreal’s Gay Village area on Sunday, August 7, 2022. This was during a protest march that took place after the cancellation of the Pride Parade. Photo by John Kenney /Montreal Gazette
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Fans of Oscar Hogan-Paul Kleo Hellman at Place Emilie-Gamelin in Montreal on Sunday, August 7, 2022. This was before a protest march that took place after the cancellation of the Pride Parade. Photo by John Kenney /Montreal Gazette
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In a press conference on Sunday, Mayor Valérie Plante said she was surprised by the abrupt cancellation of the parade.
“I was wearing my pink dress. I was really looking forward to walking with Montrealers in the biggest LGBTQAI2+ parade in North America,” she said. “I can’t hide my surprise. I was disappointed to hear in the paper this morning that this wouldn’t happen within hours of kick-off.
“We called the SPVM and the organizers and asked, ‘What’s going on?’ How come it’s canceled a few hours before the event?’
“We’ll let the organizers of the Pride (parade) give their version, but I can assure you, from the city, if we had known earlier, if we had known that they didn’t have the means, we would have put our energy into (passing) .
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“I feel frustration and disappointment. I love the pride. I’m proud that Montreal is a friendly city to the LGBTQAI2+ community. It’s sad not to celebrate together Montreal’s place as a city of inclusion and diversity.”
Montreal police tweeted Sunday afternoon that they learned of the parade’s cancellation that morning and had not been involved in the decision.
“Like every year, we were ready to monitor the event and will be there at every edition,” tweeted the SPVM.
People who had planned to take part decried the cancellation of the parade, which was supposed to be the highlight of a week of festivities, but were heartened to see a group marching anyway.
“It’s a shame,” said Oscar Hogan-Paul. “I’m glad everyone is here having fun, celebrating and celebrating each other.”
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Kleo Hellman said the cancellation prompted a reminder of what Pride is really about.
“These are not township-organized parties,” Hellman said. “It’s about us. It’s about queer people and genderqueer people. We are the ones who make pride a thing. Without us, there would be no pride.”
Béatrice Piché referred to the impromptu makeup event as a protest, not a parade.
“I think that kind of captures the feeling here right now,” Piché said. “Originally, pride was a protest, and there’s still a sense of that today. People want to be proud. People are kind of frustrated with corporate pride and what that means in the queer community. So , that people are here marching today, even though (the parade) has been officially cancelled, it means a lot.”
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Nina Brébant at Place Émilie-Gamelin in Montreal on Sunday, August 7, 2022, before an impromptu march in response to the cancellation of the Pride parade. Photo by John Kenney /Montreal Gazette
Gazoline Burlesque found the cancellation difficult to understand.
“The morning of Pride Day, you can’t cancel,” Burlesque said. “It’s not a party. we need this We’ve been waiting for this day all year. So you can’t cancel it. That’s why we’re here. I think they are bull, you don’t have enough volunteers”.
Julia agreed.
“I think they should have known before the day, what the volunteer situation was going to be, the police situation and the security situation,” said Julia, who preferred not to give her last name.
“The fact that it was canceled at the last minute due to lack of security? It’s a celebration, and many gay, trans, and queer people have never really felt safe in our everyday lives. It’s the only day of the year that we have a big party and celebrate with everyone and feel safe. I haven’t found anyone who really understands why it was cancelled. … So yeah, pretty crazy.”
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The Montreal LGBTQ+ Community Center sympathized with Pride’s staffing issues.
“Everybody has been in this boat,” said manager Christian Tanguay. “It was hard for everyone, but volunteers are needed to put on all these events.”
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The late announcement of the parade’s cancellation also drew criticism on social media.
“Lack of staff? TODAY has the organization noticed?” asked one Twitter commenter, noting that organizers had never posted about the need for more volunteers in the months leading up to Pride.
“Mind-boggling disorganization and mismanagement,” wrote another Twitter user.
Montreal’s Pride parade was canceled due to the pandemic in 2020. A scaled-down Pride march was held in 2021, with no floats or vehicles.
The 2.9 km long parade had to go through…