PROUDLY MONTREAL
The Montreal Pride Parade marches along René-Lévesque Blvd. downtown on Sunday. The parade attracted thousands, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as rumours circulate of a formal apology for how the federal government has treated the LGBTQ communit
Taking part in his third Pride parade as prime minister on Sunday, Justin Trudeau said the world looks to Canada for leadership in the fight for universal recognition of the human rights of gay, bisexual and transgender people.
Just like in the Toronto and Vancouver parades, Trudeau became the first sitting prime minister to walk in Montreal’s Pride march and was welcomed warmly by the thousands of people who came out.
In his remarks before the march, Trudeau said it’s still important for politicians to take part in Pride parades because “there is still a lot of work to do.”
The governing Liberals recently introduced transgender rights legislation. Reports last week said Ottawa will soon offer a formal apology to people in the LGBTQ community for past state-sponsored discrimination.
“We know people look to Canada to see the example,” he said in French. “And we will continue to work hard to push the limits of what other countries do because we have to send the message that LGBTQ rights are human rights.”
U.S. actress and TV host Raven-Symone, who was an honorary copresident of this year’s parade, told reporters that LGBTQ people are more than their sexuality or gender. They are educators, doctors, politicians and family, she said.
“Others try to describe our community in just two things: sex and gender,” she said. “And, sadly, because of their lack of understanding, what happens in our bedroom and in our pants cast shadows on who we are as people.”
A moment of silence was observed at the start of the parade for the shooting victims at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla., in June.
Some 150 groups and 6,000 people participated in the parade.