Montreal Pride 2018: A colourful celebration!

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Montreal – August 23, 2018 – UFCW members in Quebec recently showed their pride in Montreal at the annual parade and pride festivities, which once again brought together thousands of people in solidarity with the LGBTQI2S community.

In addition to participating in the parade, UFCW hosted a kiosk on St. Catherine Street in downtown Montreal during the pride parade weekend, to share the union’s outreach work and to also raise awareness about workplace issues facing LGBTQI2S community members.

During the parade, UFCW Quebec activists proudly wore union blue t-shirts, with twelve golden hearts on the back, showcasing the slogan "Together, strong and united.”

For the first time in the parade’s history, a group of proud lesbian women opened the procession.  Among the honoured guests was Julie Lemieux who, in November 2017, became the first transsexual mayor to be elected in Canada for the municipality of Très-Saint-Rédempteur, located in the Montérégie region along the Quebec-Ontario border.

More than 9,500 marchers strong, the parade made its way on René-Lévesque Boulevard between Metcalfe and Alexandre-DeSève Streets, greeting a crowd of thousands along the 2.7 km route.

"With pride and solidarity, we speak in a strong and united voice. Our participation in Montreal Pride celebrations is one of the important milestones that demonstrate our sincere commitment to the workers of the LGBTQI2S community," says Antonio Filato, chair of the UFCW Quebec Provincial Council and president of UFCW Local 500.

"Diversity, openness, equality and inclusion have been at the heart of UFCW's mission for many years. As the most progressive union in Canada, we work hard to break the cycles of discrimination and exploitation. More than ever, we need to make our workplaces healthy, positive and free of disparity in treatment," says Anouk Collet, Executive Assistant to the National President of UFCW Canada.

The Montreal parade follows UFCW Canada participation in other 2018 Pride Events, and parades in Charlottetown, Halifax, Saskatoon, and Winnipeg.