Montréal, July 29, 2008 — After the resounding success of its first edition in 2007, the Montréal Pride Celebrations 08 will present an array of activities that will shine a spotlight on Montréal’s vibrant and dynamic gay and lesbian community. The program overview includes:
The Pride Parade on Sunday, August 17, at 1 p.m. will be attended by a number of political and artistic personalities and will feature our two 2008 Grand Marshals:
Mr. Jasmin Roy
Jasmin Roy is no stranger to the world of television. From Chambres en ville to Salut
Bonjour and Caméra Café, he is equally at ease in the role of host, reporter and actor. He also has extensive experience in radio, both as a host and cultural reporter. M. Roy strongly believes in the social recognition of Montréal’s LGBTA community as well as the importance of visibility for LGBTA communities worldwide.
Ms. Nicole Brossard
Very early on, Nicole Brossard, poet, novelist and playwright, was involved in many different avant-garde movements in Québec poetry: she was co-founder of the influential literary magazine La Barre du jour (1965-75), organizer of jazz and poetry performances at the Youth Pavilion at Expo’67, co-founder of the feminist newspaper Les Têtes de pioche (1976-1979), and was associate director of La Nouvelle Barre du jour (1977-1979) and the “Réelle”’ collection (1979-1981). She has won the Governor General’s Award twice, once for Mécanique jongleuse (1974) and again for Double impression (1984).
In 1991, she was awarded Québec’s highest literary honour, the Athanase-David Prize. In 1994, she was made a member of L’Académie des Lettres du Québec. Most of her books have been translated into English. Nicole Brossard is a committed feminist and her book of essays, La Lettre aérienne, influenced an entire generation of feminists.
In 2003, she was awarded the W.O. Mitchell Literary Prize and, in 2006, she won the Canada Council for the Arts Molson Prize. In 2006, she published Baiser vertige, the first anthology of gay and lesbian writing in Québec. Her books have been translated into many different languages, earning her the international reputation she enjoys today.
The theme of the 2008 Pride Parade “Here comes the circus!” will offer floats, performers and marchers, more originality to all spectators. It’s a rendez-vous!
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Inquiries and interview requests:
David Lesage, Project Manager, Communications
Tel.: 514-750-4491 # 24 | Cell.: 514-928-4960
dlesage@fiertemontrealpride.com
About Célébrations LGBTA Montréal
Célébrations LGBTA Montréal was formed by the LGBT community, following the Divers/Cité decision, in May 2007, to cease the organization of the Pride Parade and Community Day. Célébrations LGBTA Montréal (Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, Transgenders and their Allies) is a non-profit organization created in June 2007 that proudly organizes the Community Day and the Montréal gay and lesbian Pride Parade. The strong support provided by the business community, the City of Montréal, the Borough of Ville-Marie, the SDC du Village (the Village merchants and business association) and more than 100 groups and community associations resulted in the highly successful Montréal Pride Celebrations in 2007.
