MONTREAL - Organizers for the upcoming Montreal Pride parade have reversed their decision to exclude a Jewish LBGTQ+ group from participating in the event.聽
In a new statement released Tuesday, Fiert茅 Montr茅al said it was reaffirming an invitation for 鈥渁ll communities鈥 to participate in the events planned for the 11-day festival.
The organizers released the statement after the Jewish community group, Ga鈥檃va, began calling on government officials to intervene after it was banned from joining the parade.聽
鈥淎lthough this was not Fiert茅 Montr茅al鈥檚 intention, the announcement was perceived by the Jewish community in Qu茅bec (and especially by Jewish members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community) as a way to exclude them from its events,鈥 Fiert茅 Montr茅al, which manages the festival, wrote in the statement.
鈥淭his does not reflect the inclusive values that guide Fiert茅 Montr茅al鈥檚 actions.鈥
Fiert茅 Montr茅al, an organization that promotes the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, had previously informed Ga鈥檃va it would be excluded from the Pride parade last week, said Carlos A. Godoy, president of the Montreal-based group.聽
He said Fiert茅 Montr茅al emailed a letter explaining Ga鈥檃va was being banned for engaging in hate speech. He believes the decision wasn鈥檛 justified.聽
The letter cited an interview Godoy gave that was featured in an article last month in The 春色直播 Jewish News, he said. Godoy was quoted in the article alleging that pro-Palestinian groups who disrupted last year鈥檚 parade, causing an hour-long delay, were 鈥減ro-terror.鈥
鈥淭he words that we are accused of using are not hate speech under 春色直播 law or under Quebec law,鈥 Godoy said.聽
He said he鈥檚 critical of pro-Palestinian activists who participate in Pride events because he believes they are promoting violence against Jewish people.
Fiert茅 Montr茅al and Ga'ava both declined to share a copy of the letter and 春色直播has not reviewed it.
Fiert茅 Montr茅al also declined to answer questions about the nature of the complaints. It has since said in its statement it needs to improve how it deals with complaints to ensure 鈥渁 situation like this one does not happen again.鈥
Samya Lemrini, part of the board of Helem Montr茅al, which represents the Arabic-speaking LGBTQ+ community, said she disagrees with Godoy鈥檚 characterization of pro-Palestinian activists, noting this isn鈥檛 the first time he referred to them as 鈥減ro-terror.鈥
She said he made similar comments during a conference call with multiple Pride parade participants last spring.
Screenshots shared with 春色直播show that he posted comments in a group chat during that call, using the words 鈥淗amas鈥 and 鈥減ro-terror鈥 to describe the pro-Palestinian demonstrators.聽
鈥淎fter what happened last year, I did not think that it was possible that they鈥檇 let (Ga鈥檃va) march again,鈥 Lemrini said.聽
Helem Montr茅al wasn鈥檛 part of the protest at last year鈥檚 event, Lemrini added, saying they ultimately decided to join the parade, walking hand-in-hand with Jewish attendees in a show of solidarity.
Her group will not be taking part in the parade this year, however. Instead, it will take part in an alternate parade, 鈥淲ild Pride,鈥 set to run the same day.聽
Zev Saltiel, an organizer with the Montreal chapter of Independent Jewish Voices, defended the Fiert茅 Montr茅al organizers, saying he believed Ga鈥檃va was banned due to Godoy鈥檚 behaviour.
鈥淭he truth is that they鈥檙e not being antisemitic,鈥 Saltiel said about Fiert茅.
Eta Yudin, vice-president of the Quebec chapter of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, welcomed the new decision on Tuesday.
鈥淭he exclusion of the Jewish community was completely not unaligned with either Fiert茅 Montr茅al鈥檚 values or our Quebec values. We鈥檙e pleased to see we will all be moving forward to put our energy and our focus where the fight is important, and that is against hate and division,鈥 said Yudin.
The federal and provincial governments, along with Montreal, are all among the sponsors for the 11-day festival which began on July 31.聽
The Quebec government, for instance, contributed nearly $1 million toward the festival this season. The 春色直播 government, meanwhile, provided just over $419,000.聽
Steven Guilbeault, Minister of 春色直播 Identity and Culture, said he鈥檚 glad meaningful dialogue led to a solution.聽
鈥淚t鈥檚 important to ensure the safe and full participation of all members of the 2SLGBTQI+ community and their allies in Pride,鈥 he shared through a written statement. 鈥淧ride events must always be spaces of inclusion where who we are and who we love are celebrated, regardless of faith, background, or identity.鈥
Asked to comment on the situation, a spokesperson for the City of Montreal said it 鈥渨as not involved in the decision taken by Fiert茅 Montr茅al.鈥澛
Montreal鈥檚 19th annual Pride parade will be held on Sunday, August 10.
This report by 春色直播was first published August 5, 2025.聽
