Afropride Montreal gearing up for their 11th edition

Community group Afropride in Montreal provides a space for Black, Indigenous and people of colour in the city’s annual pride parade, set for August 13. Now, they’re getting ready for their 11th edition, something they say is more important than ever.

“The need for representation in that platform is needed especially within the Caribbean and Afro communities that struggle to feel seen,” says Sonja Matschuck the vice president of Afropride.

“I’ve had a lot of people come to us and say that they aren’t basically out to their families and this is an opportunity to celebrate both their culture and their place in the LGBTQ community,” says Matschuck, adding often times those part of the 2SLGBTQ+ community are forced to choose between their culture and their place within the community.

Sonja Matschuck the vice president of Afropride. (Photo Credit: Felisha Adam, CityNews)

Afropride began 13 years ago, in 2010, the main goal was to create a safe space for individuals to be able to express themselves during pride in Montreal.

“Someone who does feel seen all year round finds a space that they can just revel and express themselves fully and be themselves fully, I think is just so essential,” says Matschuck.

Due to the cancellation of the 2023 edition of Carifiesta by the City of Montreal, Afropride decided it would honour Carifiesta, and its 47 years, by doing a tribute to it. What followed was an onslaught of negative messages with homophobic sentiments.

“We’ve had a lot of backlash, especially this year…they say that Pride parade is not part of the Caribbean culture, and we try to explain and express that both can live simultaneously together, our love of the culture and our need to have a queer space,” Matschuck says.

Nadia Baksh an ally of Afropride since 2015 and who is also Caribbean, says she doesn’t understand the backlash but that she is not surprised.

Nadia Baksh (photo Credit: Felisha Adam, CityNews)

“It doesn’t end at pride, it extends to every aspect of live for everyone in the community,” Baksh says adding, “the event is pivotal in showing those part of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, that they matter.”

“We have a lot of youth right now who are depressed and suicidal, they don’t feel seen or heard, if they don’t dress or conform in a certain way somehow they aren’t accepted in their family,” says Baksh.

Matschuck says she hopes Afropride will extend further to help those Black, Indigenous and people of colour part of the 2SLGBTQ+ outside of pride.

Afropride T-shirt (Photo Credit: Felisha Adam, CityNews)

“A lot of people have thanked us during or after the parade…that this was a lifeline, but that they were grateful for this space and the event,” says Matschuck adding “…we’re hoping now, not to just have the float in the parade, but we’re hoping to have more advocacy projects to be added to our activities and that we’re very, very excited for.”

For more on Afropride, click here.