2021 Montréal Pride Festival - Launch of the celebrations for the full recognition of the rights of 2SLGBTQI+ people on the International Day of the World's Indigenous People

MONTRÉAL, Aug. 9, 2021 /CNW Telbec/ - The Montreal Pride Festival, presented by TD Bank Group, officially launched its 2021 celebrations this morning under the theme Together for All and unveiled the political and social demands that will be put forward this year. Special attention will be paid to Indigenous peoples this year, not only to mark the International Day of the World's Indigenous People, but also to give them a voice and to recognize the responsibility of each and every one of us to act as allies in the cause of Indigenous communities and Two-Spirited people.

In 2021, Montréal Pride intends to carry and encourage people to react to the following demands:

Let us recognise, act and become better allies in support of the cause of Indigenous Communities and of the murdered and missing Two-Spirit persons.

The 2021 discovery of hundreds of children's' bodies at Indigenous residential schools in Canada only reiterates the urgency of a major collective realisation of the atrocities committed against Indigenous persons. We must act in support of the affected communities and initiate long-term reconciliation. As stated in our 2020 demands, what has occurred since the era of colonisation and continues to happen to the Indigenous people of Canada amounts to genocide. Since the national inquiry into the missing and murdered Indigenous women, several calls for justice have been made. We call on our governments to adopt all efficient measures in support of an authentic reconciliation.

Let us act to fight against the violence visited on our sexually and gender diverse communities and support the survivors with more resources adapted to our communities.

The social and physical confinement and isolation of the pandemic have heightened the violence committed against 2SLGBTQI+ persons. This situation is of great concern to us and we are therefore calling for adequate resources to be developed specifically for our communities; we wish to be able to provide the professional and psychological support their wellbeing requires. We point out the importance of taking into consideration the issues of gender and sexual diversity in the implementation of generic services.

Let us put an end to the injustices and discriminations committed against Black, Indigenous, Arab, Asian and Latinx persons.

As much within our communities as throughout society, racism against Black, Indigenous, Arab, Asian and Latinx persons is responsible for a multitude of inequalities, traumas and discriminations of all kinds. We must collectively acknowledge the racism and oppression still and always being exercised following centuries of colonialism. We must engage in action to foster immediate changes, prevention and offer restorative justice. We also condemn anti-Asian racism and denounce in a common voice this avowed and devastating racism. With its 2021 programming, Montréal Pride is stressing the voices and participation of the communities, exclusive and caring spaces. Montréal Pride encourages reflection on police funding in Québec and this, in order to reset the focus on actions in support of communities and understanding rather than repression.

Let us recognise loudly and clearly and unconditionally the identity of all trans and non-binary persons.

We rejoice in the January 2021 court decision that invalidated articles of the Québec Civil Code that discriminated against trans and non-binary persons. The government must amend these articles before December 31, 2021. It should be noted that trans and non-binary persons have the full right to determine their identity and gender expression themselves and this, in accordance with the protection of personal freedom laws. It is our wish that our communities can change their name on official documents and that workplaces and institutions inquire about the impacts that the non-respect of a person's identity and/or the reminder of a past identity prior to transition, can have on mental health.

Let us prioritise inclusive language: a non-gendered language and gender neutral writing for languages that are inclusive for all.

The key to a universal language that eliminates any form of discrimination and stigmatisation can be summed up in the use of a non-gendered language or gender fair writing. The French language is characterized by gender in a male/female binary. It is important to use forms of inclusive or neutral language so that we are ready to accept everyone, whatever their gender. Montréal Pride encourages the governments to implement inclusive language courses in schools and within the public administration.

The Montréal Pride Festival, under the theme Together for All, presents tonight at 8pm on its Facebook page the Opening Night, with a performance by Jeremy Dutcher, and continues until August 15th, the day of the Pride March, which is scheduled to gather at noon in Jeanne-Mance Park for a departure at 1pm. The program presents more than 70 hours of online and in-person content, including 32 community projects, 8 DJ sets, 4 conferences at the Le National Theatre, an animated Village and, of course, 4 nights of pre-recorded major shows presented on a giant screen on the Casino de Montréal stage at the Esplanade du Parc olympique. Tickets and info available on fiertemtl.com.

About the Montréal Pride Festival

Since 2007, at the initiative of Montréal's 2SLGBTQI+ communities, the Montréal Pride Festival has been promoting their rights and celebrating their cultural richness and social advances. The largest gathering of the sexually and gender diverse (SGD) communities in the Francophone world, it works locally on a daily basis while serving as a beacon of hope for people living in 2SLGBTQI+ hostile regions of the globe. In 2020, the festival produced a 360 Edition with all of its festivities presented in a digital format in compliance with health measures in place then. In 2021, the festivities are being held from August 9 to 15 and will present a hybrid program mixing in-person physical events with virtual presentations. More information is available on the web page, the Facebook page, as well as Twitter and Instagram accounts.

SOURCE Montréal Pride Celebrations

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