100,000 celebrate Montreal Pride

By Celeste Lavin, 365gay.com 08.16.2010 3:30pm EDT

Over 100,000 people celebrated in Montreal’s Gay Pride parade on Sunday.

The parade attracted people of all ages and orientations. The theme of the parade was “Our Superheroes”- Wonder Women drag outfits ensued.

Montreal Mayor Gérald Tremblay said he was proud to participate in the parade: “It’s important to show that Montreal can accept people that have differences.”

The Quebec Immigration Minister Kathleen Weil was just appointed last week. This was her first Pride as Immigration Minister. “It’s wonderful to be able to just reach out, shake hands and look into people’s eyes and see how happy they are to see you as a representative of the government,” said Weil. “To feel that they’ve got our support and that we’re there for them, it’s a very emotional contact and it’s wonderful.”

Canada is one of the world’s most progressive countries when it comes to gay rights. Marriage equality was fully realized in Canada in 2005, though most provinces had already legalized gay marriage by 2003.

The parade marshals were two human rights activists from Latvia, Kaspars Zalitis and Kristine Garina.

Garina said, “Yours is a privilege many nations do not have. Guard it carefully. It’s very hard to win and so easy to lose.”