Wednesday, July 5, 2017

Canada Pride Is Ready With Over 200 Activities in Celebration of Sexual Diversity and Gender Plurality

Canada Pride Montréal 2017 (Fierte Canada Montreal), presents in collaboration with TD (Canada Trust) and Casino de Montréal, unveiling the programming weeks before the launch of festivities.  Over 11 days, festival goers and revelers will have an unprecedented choice of over 200 activities including DJ sets and the free large scale shows every night.
“The activities we offer are really diverse! The festival, cultural and community components all have something appealing to persons of sexual diversity and gender plurality, as well as to our allies,” explains Éric Pineault, Montréal Pride President, and founder.
Earlier this year, we’ve announced that Nelly Furtado would headline the festival as well as Montréal is proud, presented by Sirius XM Canada, with Gregory Charles and Marie-Mai, l’Acadie de demain, with Édith Butler and Radio Radio, Supernovas, with David Usher and Jonas, Drag Superstars, with 12 contestants from RuPaul’s Drag Race.
New in 2017 
The new principal outdoor venue for the event, Parc des Faubourgs, near the entrance of the Jacques-Cartier Bridge, will host the TD stage and the Pride House. Activities will also be held at the Casino de Montréal stage located at Place Émilie-Gamelin, a well-known site to Pride Montréal festival goers.
A two-day sports tournament has been integrated into the program featuring seven disciplines including badminton, rugby, soccer, softball, tennis, volleyball and water polo. Invitations to participate have been sent out to individuals and teams across Canada. The event is presented in the spirit and tradition of the 1976 Olympic Games and the 1st World Outgames of 2006.
Indigenous Peoples Participation
Vice President Jean-Sébastien Boudreault notes that this first edition of Pride Canada will be more diverse and inclusive, with a strong presence of Indigenous Peoples representatives. “We are honored to have an important and representative contingent to lead off the Parade as well as for the opening and closing ceremonies of the national conference on LGBTTIQA2S rights," he says. "Before each event, we will recognize that the lands on which we are assembled for Canada Pride Montréal 2017, are located in the ceded territories of the Kanien’keha:ka (Mohawks).”
Diverse Cultural Component
Throughout the festival, an art gallery will be set up in containers at the corner of Sainte-Catherine and Saint-Hubert Streets. It will feature the works of 10 artists including paintings, drawings, photography and high fashion creations. A presentation on 375 years of LGBTQ+ history and the evolution of the Pride Movement in Canada will be featured at Pride House in the heart of Parc des Faubourgs. Theatrical productions will also be presented with two well-known comedies in English — Naked Boys Singing and Buyer & Cellar— and a promising drama in French by local author Denis-Martin Chabot: L’amant de Samuel.
An expanded Literary Pride segment will feature authors and their works throughout different bars in the Village. Activities will include: a book fair dedicated to trans and queer writers and authors of color, an interview with special guest author Kamal Al-Solaylee, the cabaret evening Authors Uncovered, a meet and greet with author Simon Boulerice and the popular Combat aux mots panel. Back for a 5th edition, L’Emmental expiré, coordinated by poet Simon DuPlessis, will present an evening of poetry performance involving a mix of dance, song, spoken word, and music.