Five reasons why Pride matters to Montreal

Photo by A Bilodeau, courtesy of Fierté Montreal Pride
 
Montreal Pride’s PR guru Lynn Habel admittedly has a lot invested in telling you why Pride festivities are awesome — but they really are! You can always bust out the assless chaps on any given afternoon, but there are only so many times of year when you can join hundreds of other people who are also wearing assless chaps and be cheered on by a crowd half-filled with straight people. Ain’t Montreal grand?

Here are Lynn’s reasons why Montrealers should be proud of Pride.

— Tracey Lindeman

 
1. It showcases Montreal as an open and dynamic city. An exciting and vibrant LGBT festival like Montreal Pride speaks volumes about Montreal as a city that fosters and embraces diversity and champions equal rights.

2. Montreal Pride attracts thousands of visitors each year. Montreal’s Pride festivities have important economic spin-offs for the city in terms of hotel room nights and patronage in restaurants and stores.

3. Montreal Pride offers 16 free shows and activities for all Montrealers to enjoy. Everyone is invited to join us for five days of free entertainment at Place Émilie-Gamelin in the Village. There’ll be something for everyone from Drag Queens to DJs, from hip hop to oldies, and from yoga to Kids Day.

4. Montreal Pride allows the mainstream community to connect with their city’s dynamic LGBT community. By coming together to celebrate and have fun, Montrealers can discover the many businesses, organizations and entertainers that they may not have known about right in their own city.

5. Montreal Pride gives the LGBT community an opportunity for visibility. Beyond the clichés that we often see in the media, the LGBT community is eclectic and multifaceted, with everything from sports teams and dance clubs to same-sex parents groups and professional associations. Pride offers the community a chance to inform, educate and show off this diversity. ■