It’s Pride week in Montreal

From Pride 2013. Photo by Cindy Lopez

It’s August and Montreal is once again awash in rainbow colours, with no less than four festivals dedicated to various aspects of queer cultures. Now that Divers/Cité and Qouleur have wrapped up, and Pervers/Cité is well underway, it’s time to pop a Viagra (official sponsor!) for the queen of queer festivals: Fierté Montréal Pride. This festival has some major events coming your way this week.

This year’s Pride opens TODAY with a screening of Féminin/Féminin at Hôtel le Gouverneur. Check out our interview with series creator Florence Gagnon here. 1415 St-Hubert, Monday, Aug. 11, 6 p.m., $5

On Tuesday, head to Apollon Bar and get your game on with the Gaymer Zone, with competitions and tournaments on new and retro game consoles. Hosted by Kidd Mike. 1450 Ste-Catherine E., Tuesday, Aug. 12, 10 p.m., free

From Wednesday to Sunday, see how far the LGBT community in Quebec has come over the past 30 years via  Fugues magazine’s anniversary exhibition, Fugues Remembers. Écomusée du Fier Monde (2050 Amherst), 11 a.m.–8 p.m., $8

Place Émilie-Gamelin will host several free, outdoor activities during Fierté, kicking off on Wednesday evening with at the rainbow-flag raising, with a performance by Jean Sébastien Lavoie, followed by a dance party with DJ Mister Smith. De Maisonneuve & Berri, 5:30 p.m., free

On Thursday, the Coalition Jeunesse Montéalaise de Lute a l’Homophobie is inviting youth (aged 14–25) who feel marginalized — be they gay, lesbian, 2-spirit, trans, female, indigenous, people of colour etc — to come to Place Émilie-Gamelin for a BBQ and short performances. De Maisonneuve & Berri, Thursday, Aug. 14, 7 p.m., free

The literacy-inclined would do well to visit NDQ on Thursday evening for Reading Is Sexy, a series of readings that may make your pants move, hosted by writers Daniel Baylis and Christopher DiRaddo. 32 Beaubien E., Thursday, Aug. 14, 7 p.m., free

For something a bit more raucous on Thursday night, try the Moustaches and High Heels Cabaret with a pre-show by Sherwin Sullivan Tija. Drag kings, pole dancing, and other sexy spectacles are in store at la Sala Rossa. 4848 St-Laurent, Thursday, Aug. 14, 9 p.m., $15–$20

Ladies’ night at Bar le Cocktail offers a happy hour for the women of Pride, with a DJ and drink specials. 1669 Ste-Catherine E., Friday, Aug. 15, 4 p.m., free

Two more parties just for self-identified women are going down Friday, Aug. 15. Cuir as F*ck is a kinky dungeon party with DJ Mariana Morales, at Atelier CMD (4000 Chateaubriand, 10 p.m. $15/$20). Or, head to Russian Nightclub and let loose at the Hot Sauce third anniversary bash with L.A.-based DJ Lezlee and locals TIZI and Montana. 390 St-Jacques W., 10 p.m. $15–$20

If you’re feeling spry on Saturday morning, you might jog on over to Parc Mont-Royal and sign up for the Pride Run, with either three or five-kilometre courses that you can walk or run. Proceeds from the event will go to support the HIV/AIDS Portal of Québec. Departing from the George-Étienne Cartier monument (Parc @ Rachel), 10 a.m., $30–$40 registration fee

The workout continues on Saturday afternoon at Place Émilie-Gamelin, with a 3 p.m. Zumba class ($10–$15), and a free Tabata training session at 5 p.m, followed by a community cocktail and music by DJ Gigi starting at 6 p.m.

Among the club parties happening during Fierté is BYOL at Cabaret Underworld, where everyone from butch to femme to boi’s and alpha males are invited to heat it up with DJs Lady McCoy and Mariana Morales. 1403 Ste-Élisabeth, Saturday, Aug. 16, 10 p.m., $18–$20

The main event on Sunday is the massive Montreal Pride Parade, now in its 30th year. Organized around the theme “Our Flag, Our Flame,” the parade begins at 1 p.m. and takes over René-Levesque from St-Mathieu to Sanguinet. Parade participants and audience members alike are invited to the parade’s afterparty at Place Émilie-Gamelin with DJs Alberto and Kitty Glitter.

After a jam-packed week of events, Fierté Montréal says goodnight with an official closing party Sunday night at Unity with DJ Stéfane Lippé. 1171 Ste-Catherine E., Sunday, Aug. 17, 10 p.m., $2

 

For more about Fierté Montréal Pride, see the festival’s website