“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.