Pride Parade takes place amid controversy in Montreal
Thousands of people are expected to gather in the streets of Montreal on Sunday afternoon for the traditional Montreal Pride Parade, which will bring more than a week of festivities to a close.
Members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ communities and their allies will march down René-Lévesque Boulevard to celebrate their rights and, above all, to highlight their demands.
The parade will begin at the corner of Metcalfe Street, recognized as the former 2SLGBTQIA+ neighbourhood, and end in the heart of the Village.
The theme of the parade will be 'Bloom Here, Bloom Now!' to 'claim our right to blossom, shine brightly, and love freely,' Pride Montreal explained on its website.
In the midst of Pride Week, the organization has also had to deal with numerous controversies.
In particular, it had to deal with the resignation of its board chair, Bernard Truong, on Aug. 4. Pride Montreal said he had to step down 'for personal reasons.'
Marlot Marleau, who was secretary of the board of directors of Fierté Montréal, was then appointed by the board to serve as president of the organization.
Fierté Montréal assured that this change would have no impact on the festival's activities.
The organization also found itself in turmoil over its stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The day after Truong's resignation, Pride Montreal 'reaffirmed its invitation to all communities to participate in the festivities' after representatives of the Jewish community were excluded from the flagship event.
Another gathering is also scheduled to take place at the same time as the Pride Parade.
The Indomitable Pride march, which is more militant in nature, will start at 2 p.m. at Place des Arts.
Protesters also gathered on Saturday evening for 'Rad Pride,' organized by the P!nk Bloc MTL collective.
P!nk Bloc
Members of the P!nk Bloc participate in the annual Rad Pride event held the night before the annual parade in Montreal. (P!nk Bloc)
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Aug. 10, 2025.
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