MONTRÉAL PRIDE POSITION STATEMENT
June 12, 2020
In these trying times, the Montréal Pride team wishes to take position and respond to the call to action aimed at ensuring justice for black communities.
We recognize that many of us were born into privilege within a society rooted in colonialism, racism and oppression, that good intentions are not enough and that excuses are worthless without change and without restorative justice.
It is more than obvious that anti-black racism exists in Québec, in Montréal and in the daily lives of us all. Those who deny it are part of the problem.
When Montréal Pride was established in 2007, the vision was to celebrate LGBT+ communities, their diversity, their solidarity and their resilience over the years. At that time and for years to come, despite the good intentions of two white gay cis men who sought to create a gathering place where all would be welcome, we recognize that these spaces were not conducive for queer and trans, black, indigenous and people of colour community members to feel that they were safe, being seen, heard and represented.
There are certain truths we only become aware of when we are confronted to them and, especially, when we confront ourselves.
If there is a lesson to be learned from this pandemic, it is that the government, our institutions and we as individuals, can act collectively and quickly in order to save lives.
Questioning and reassessing our ways will always be necessary, namely on how we can develop more awarness towards the realities we are not a part of. We have learned a great deal and we are still learning. We are far from claiming that no further improvements are required within our organisation, to the contrary; the process has been initiated, and will continue to work on this with vigor.
It is our responsibility to educate ourselves, to question our ways and to decolonise spaces.
Although Montréal Pride, as an organisation, must abide by the government’s law restricting the creation of events involving any physical proximity, nothing stops us from promoting them on our platforms, or participating.
This year, Pride 360 represents the constellation of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. It also represents the crossroads between the lessons we have learnt from the past, and the direction that we take in the present, engaged in the representation and protection of these communities thus, for a future inclusive to all.
With Pride,
