visit gay montreal

A Complete LGBTQ Travel Guide to Montreal

Montreal is well-known as an extraordinarily LGBTQ-friendly destination. With a population of almost 2 million, Quebec's biggest city (and the second largest in Canada) represents a delightful mash-up of cultures, with a proudly Quebecois identity of its own and rich LGBTQ history.

Reportedly, North America's first LGBT publication, "Les Mouches Fantastiques" (The Fantastic Files) was founded here in 1918; by the early 1970s a queer bohemian scene was flourishing (1974 indie film "Montreal Main" offered a glimpse); the first Montreal Pride march took place in 1979 (commemorating the 10th anniversary of NYC's Stonewall riots), and Montreal's famed "gay village" came to be in the 1980s, as gay bars, clubs, and residents overtook a formerly impoverished, decrepit section of the city's Centre-Sud district along Sainte-Catherine Street East.

Refreshingly, Montreal's gay village (which is closed to cars during warmer months) remains a lively and concentrated hub that's even more literally colorful and easy to spot thanks to its overhead, 1 kilometer long "18 Shades Of Gay" - comprised of 180,000 colored recycled plastic resin balls suspended overhead. Tourism Montreal's official website even dedicates a page to this now iconic installation , plus much more LGBT-related information and resources, and be sure to check out Quebec's LGBTQ magazine and website, Fugues , for what's ons and scene skinny.

The Best Things To Do

The gay-owned Spade & Palacio offers "non-touristy tours" by bike and by foot, which are perfect for both newcomers and those who know the city but would like a deeper dive. Book the four-hour, lunch-inclusive Beyond The Bike Lanes tour that covers both residential and popular tourist zones including the Gay Village, or consider the two-hour Beyond The Village one that spotlights the gayborhoood and its history and landmark sites.

Get your selfies on in the Gay Village during daylight while taking in its art installations and community spaces, including the Park of Hope (Parc L'espoir) and AIDS Memorial. Check out its LGBT businesses as well, notably the sexy apparel, leather, and accessories shop, Chez Priape .

Montreal-based graphic novel publisher Drawn & Quarterly has a fantastic store, Librarie Drawn & Quarterly , in the buzzy Mile End district, a favorite stomping ground of local, acclaimed gay filmmaker and actor, Xavier Dolan. It hosts book launches by queer creators (Diane Obomsawin's "On Loving Women" is a delightful must!), events, and a book club for discussing LGBTQ+ work.

The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts presented the first retrospective exhibition dedicated to outrageous, visionary queer French fashion designer Thierry Mugler in Spring 2019 and includes work by LGBTQ artists in its permanent collections. Known as DHC/ART until 2019, Old Montreal's privately owned, non-profit Foundation Phi showcases cutting edge, contemporary work.

Bota Bota Spa , situated on a multi-level ship in the Old Port, is a friendly spot to unwind and get pampered (with kid-friendly hours), though some males might prefer one of Montreal's adults only gay saunas, which include the 24-hour Sauna Oasis and four-floor Sauna G.I. Joe .

Events & Festivals

Held in August, Montreal Pride (aka Fierté MTL) climaxes with a parade along René-Lévesque Boulevard headed up by a diverse selection of Grand Marshalls. The event in 2019 included Transgender Pride Flag creator Monica Helms, First Nations Two-Spirit activist and author Ma-Nee Chacaby, Montreal fetish historian Danny Godbout, local entrepreneur and athlete Val Desjardins, Wilson Cruz of "Star Trek: Discovery," and trailblazing Laotian LGBTQ activist Anan Bouapha). Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is also a regular fixture in the parade.

Image+Nation is Canada's oldest—and still very much thriving—LGBT film festival.

And if you're a dancing queen, the fall's annual Black & Blue entails a week's worth of unabashedly queer yet straight-friendly dances and parties, from circuit-style blowouts with benefits going to HIV/AIDS organizations.

The Best LGBTQ Bars and Clubs

You'll find most of Montreal's LGBTQ nightlife conveniently concentrated in its gay village along Ste. Catherine Street East. One of Canada's largest nightlife venues, Complexe Sky entails three floors of drinking, dancing, dining, and entertainment spaces (including a drag cabaret), plus a rooftop terrace, pool, and spa.

Also multi-level, Club Unity features two main dance and drinking spaces (each with different music), a VIP lounge, and spacious rooftop terrace. Admission is free on Thursdays, while Unity also hosts drag shows and performances by visiting "RuPaul's Drag Race" stars like Detox.

An enduring Montreal institution, beloved local drag queen Mado Lamotte (a.k.a. Luc Provost) — who's so well known that her wax likeness graces the city's Grevin Wax Museum along with Celine Dion and Katy Perry—opened another enduring institution in the village almost 20 years ago, Cabaret Mado . This is the place go get a diverse dose of Montreal's queens and kings, plus celebrity tributes and hipster drag (though do note that most shows are in French).

Another enduring village institution, Bar Aigle Noir (Black Eagle), has plenty of space for drinking, dancing, and socializing inside, while summertime allows lounging around an outdoor patio. Celebrating its 25th year in 2020, the unpretentious Le Stud is another bear and leather crowd favorite, with dancing, drinking, and pool tables.

A new kid on the block, opened in 2018, Renard offers an upscale craft cocktail and beer bar atmosphere, with tasty pub grub including cheddar cheeseburgers. If karaoke is your bag, or microphone, Le Date Karaoke is a must, as is the nearly 30-year-old Taverne Normandie , which also boasts a fantastic courtyard terrace and very mixed clientele.

Male strippers can go the full monty in Montreal, so if feeling frisky check out Stock Bar and Campus .

Outside the village, meanwhile, the Rosemont neighborhood's Bar Notre Dame Des Quilles is a jubilant, fabulously LGBTQ+ spot especially popular with hipster queers and lesbians: sing out during Sunday's Okie Dokie Karaoke, while the diverse events line-up includes speed dating, Drag Race viewing parties, and tarot readings.

Where to Eat

Straddling Little Italy and hipster Mile-Ex district, lesbian-owned micro-brewpub Brasserie Harricana keeps a fantastic selection of beer, cider, and kombucha on tap (both its own and from other regional producers), including unique, lip-smacking varieties finished in liquor barrels (e.g. a stout aged six months in Grand Marnier barrels). Culinary offerings range from Quebecois pub snacks (beef tartare, escargots, and cheese) to substantial plates (filet mignon, deluxe salads, and house-made sausages).

A game-changer thanks to its farm-to-table ethos and gorgeous (and photogenic) innovation, 27-year-old fine dining institution Toqué! launched many chefs and restaurateurs’ careers in its kitchen, including local superstars David McMillan and Frederic Morin of Joe Beef , and Charles-Antoine Crête and Cheryl Johnson of Montreal Plaza .

While the Gay Village's dining scene hasn't exactly proven as foodie-centric as other parts of Montreal (locals might feel that's putting it diplomatically), there has been some improvement in the past few years. A few blocks north, Antonin Mousseau-Rivard presents cutting-edge, modern Quebecois creations at the prix fixe-only Le Mousso and casual, a la carte younger sibling Le Petit Mousso. If vegan or vegetarian, good news: 2019 opening Tendresse (sibling to craft cocktail and beer spot Renard) specializes in tasty, meat-free eating.

Where to Stay

Downtown's iconic, 62-year-old Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth , where John Lennon and Yoko Ono staged their famed "bed-in" during 1969, received a stunningly fresh, modern update in 2017. Its 950 guest rooms now amalgamate crisp contemporary design schemes with a nod to the 1960s, while the lobby and public spaces were transformed with an incredible food hall, Marché Artisans .

A few blocks away, the chic 152-room gay-fave W Montreal  is posited just across from the Square-Victoria-OACI metro station (look for its art nouveau Paris-style entrance portico, a 1967 gift from the City of Lights) and received its own comprehensive, multimillion update in 2015. Decor is sophisticated and clubby, some rooms overlook Victoria Square Park, and the hotel's BARTIZEN cocktail lounge emphasizes Quebec-produced gins and botanical libations in a dramatically designed, 1940s-inspired cinematic setting.

Opened in 2016, the 121-room upscale boutique Hotel William Gray  is situated smack dab in Old Town along its lively and oft-Instagramed Place Jacques Cartier. A pair of historic buildings and eight-story glass tower fused and transformed with utterly modern decor and design. Each room is different, thanks to the repurposing of existing space. and the lobby's a buzzy hive of excellent shopping and dining, including locavore restaurant Maggie Oakes and an outpost of Montreal's European-style cafe and Italian coffee connoisseurs, Cafe Olimpico.

If you're keen to be based in the Gay Village in a gay-owned property, make reservations at the five-room Sir Montcalm Gite B&B. Hosts André and Yvon provide breakfast in this contemporary yet homey and distinctly Quebecois building, which also boasts a private terrace garden.

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Things in Montreal

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When is gay pride in Montreal?

Fabulous news, darling! Montréal Pride is usually celebrated in mid-August, so mark your calendar and get ready to sparkle 🌈!

Are there any other annual or recurring gay events in Montreal?

Absolutely, sweetie! Montréal not only has Pride, but it also hosts the Image+Nation Film Festival in November, which showcases stellar LGBTQ+ films. And don't forget the Black & Blue Festival held in October, a dazzling electronic music event.

Is there a gay sauna in Montreal?

Oh, honey, Montréal has quite the selection! Some of the 🔥 saunas include G.I. Joe , Oasis , and Sauna Centre-Ville . Make sure to check them all out here .

Where are the gay bars in Montreal?

You'll find most of the gay bars in Montréal's fabulous Gay Village. Try out Cabaret Mado for phenomenal drag shows, and don't miss Complexe Sky for an amazing multi-floor experience. Explore more of Montréal's gay bars here .

Is there a gay district or area in Montreal?

Yes, darling! Montréal has a lively gay district known as the Gay Village (or Le Village). It is absolutely fabulous and packed with bars, clubs, cafés, boutiques, and art galleries catering to the LGBTQ+ community.

How do I get to the city from the airport when traveling to Montreal?

After landing at Montréal-Trudeau International Airport, you can take the 747 Express Bus, which connects the airport to downtown Montréal. Other options include taxis, ride-hailing apps, or even renting a car. Choose whatever luxuriously suits your style, darling!

How do I best get around in Montreal?

Montréal offers a variety of convenient options, such as public transport (metro, bus), taxis, ride-hailing apps, and BIXI bikes. Public transit is affordable and can take you almost anywhere in the city, dear.

Is there a gay fetish community in Montreal?

Oh, absolutely, honey! Montréal has a variety of establishments catering to different tastes and interests. For example, you can find cruising bars like Bar Taboo and Stock Bar . Just be yourself and explore the fabulous variety Montréal has to offer!

Is there a gay or gay-friendly hotel in Montreal?

You bet, sweetie! Montréal has a plethora of gay-friendly accommodations to choose from. Dive into the magnificent options available here to make your stay extra fabulous.

What are the top attractions to see in Montreal?

Mont Royal: A beautiful and iconic park with a fantastic panoramic view of the city.

Old Montréal: Stroll through charming, cobblestone streets and admire historic architecture.

Museum of Fine Arts: Revel in a fabulous collection of art from various eras and cultures.

Can you suggest some LGBTQ+-themed landmarks or historical sites to visit in Montreal?

Aires Libres: A gorgeous pedestrian area in the heart of the Gay Village. Make a stop at the famous rainbow-coloured balls installation!

Monument to LGBT Rights: Pay your respects at Place Emilie-Gamelin, home to this important monument symbolizing the fight for LGBTQ+ rights.

What is the best time of year to visit Montreal for gay travelers?

Montréal is fabulous year-round, my dear! However, for the best weather and top LGBTQ+ events, visit between May and September. During this time, you can enjoy Montréal Pride, outdoor festivals, and exciting nightlife.

Are there any LGBTQ+ meetups or social groups that we can join during our stay?

Definitely! Montréal is a multicultural hub with various LGBTQ+ social and support groups. Check local listings and Facebook groups to find fabulous events and activities during your visit.

Are there popular dating apps or websites used more commonly by the LGBTQ+ community in Montreal?

Absolutely, darling! Aside from mainstream dating apps like Tinder and Bumble, you can find LGBTQ+-focused apps like Grindr, Scruff, HER, and OkCupid to connect with the community and make fabulous new friends!

Are there any LGBTQ+ friendly language courses or conversation groups in Montreal?

Yes, sweetheart! Montréal is an incredibly diverse city, so you can find LGBTQ+ friendly language institutes and conversation groups. Check local listings or inquire at LGBTQ+-friendly cafés to find a course or group to practice your language skills!

What are the laws and regulations regarding public displays of affection for LGBTQ+ couples in Montreal?

Canada is known for its progressive LGBTQ+ rights, so holding hands, kissing, and other PDA are perfectly legal and widely accepted in Montréal. Relax and enjoy your time with your loved one, sweetheart! 💖

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Montreal Gay City Guide: A City of Fun, Festivals, and Friendly Neighbors

Located where the St. Lawrence and Ottawa rivers meet, Montreal is the largest city in Canada’s Quebec province. It is a dynamic, welcoming city with a hip, eclectic vibe. It's a city that's overflowing with culture, festivals, wonderful food, and plenty of outdoor activities, not to mention endless opportunity and a wide variety of warm and welcoming neighborhoods that will eagerly embrace anyone who wants to call it home.

A Bit of Montreal History

The French explorer Jacques Cartier initially reached the island of Montreal in 1635, followed by a group of French settlers in 1642. The settlement flourished as part of the fur trading industry and continued to grow. Various industries and businesses ventured into the city as it continued to grow, and along with that came a rich diversity that has always been a hallmark of life in Montreal. It eventually became the second biggest city in Canada and the principal city in Quebec. Today, Montreal is a city that celebrates its rich French history while also constantly looking forward toward the future. It is widely considered to be one of the most diverse and cosmopolitan cities in North America and is known for its great charm energy and vibrant spirit.

• Montreal is one of the five largest cities in the world where people speak French. Paris, of course, is the first.
• Montreal has the highest number of restaurants per capita in Canada and the second-highest number per capita in North America after New York City.
• No building in Montreal can be taller than the cross located on the Mount Royal Mountain.

Find more fun facts about Montreal here .

Montreal’s LGBTQ Community

Montreal has a rich, diverse, and thriving LGBTQ community that is well-supported by resources and community centers across the city, some of which include:

Centre Communautaire LGBTQ+

The Centre Communautaire is a popular community resource center offering a wide variety of educational programs, resources, legal, health, and support services, and opportunities for networking and engaging with other members of the LGBTQ community and the city at large.

West Island LGBTQ2 Centre

The West Island LGBTQ2 Centre is a community dedicated to providing a safe and welcoming space for the LGBTQ community and questioning individuals to feel welcomed with open arms. It is the only LGBTQ community center in the West Island area of Montreal and serves youth, seniors, and everyone in between.

Montreal Weather

Montreal has what’s known as a semi-continental climate. This means that it has warm, humid summers, and very cold winters while offering visitors and residents alike a pleasant spring and fall, one with beautiful blooms, and the other the colors of changing leaves. Winters can be quite snowy – on average, snow depths of greater than 1 cm are seen on about 109 days of the year. On the other side of the coin, there are also plenty of sunny days, and in summer the highs can reach up to around 90 °F. Truly, Montreal is a city of all seasons.

Can’t Miss Montreal Events

Fierte Montreal Pride

Montreal's annual gay pride festival is truly something that you won’t want to miss. The festival includes 10 amazing days of parties and events and culminates with a huge parade on the final day, that engulfs the entire city. Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, usually leads the parade. It’s an amazing celebration of all that the LGBTQ community adds to Montreal.

The Black and Blue Gay Festival

The Black and Blue Gay Festival is a highly popular 5-day event that takes place annually during the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend in October. Featuring electronica and techno music, the festival attracts around 70,000 people each year. In addition to being an amazing event, it’s also for a good cause – proceeds are donated to HIV/AIDS charities each year.  

A Look at the Best Montreal Neighborhoods

Some cities have gayborhoods – but Montreal has a village. Yes, it’s true – an entire gay village (one of the largest in North America!) that has an upbeat vibe, a fun, and lively club scene, and the main drag, the Rue Sainte-Catherine, which is a pedestrian-only avenue that is frequently strung with decorations and lights, and on which numerous bars, eateries, and cafes are located for all to enjoy. Its Rue Amherst street is known for its eclectic mix of boutique and antique shops, and the entire village is very walkable, warm, and welcoming. The village also includes the beautiful neoclassical Saint-Pierre-Apôtre Church, with its well-known Chapel of Hope, dedicated to AIDS victims. For those considering purchasing a home in Le Village Gai , there are a variety of housing options and price ranges available.

For those who are considering moving to Montreal, it is worth noting that bringing your own vehicle is not essential, and may not even be advised. Because of the density of the city, many businesses are within walking distance from the city’s metro stations throughout the city, and many residents choose to walk or bike.

Arts and Entertainment

The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts

The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts is the largest art museum in Canada by gallery space and is spread across five pavilions, showcasing a world-class collection of art from all eras and of all selection of art from all eras and of all styles for visitors to enjoy.

Place des Arts

The Place des Arts is Montreal’s major performing arts center and is the largest cultural and artistic complex in Canada. Whatever you enjoy – opera, Broadway, drama, musicals, stand-up, and more, you’re sure to find it here.

Parks and Recreation

Montreal Botanical Garden

The Montreal Botanical Garden is a stunning display of nature’s wonder that you don’t want to miss. The garden includes 75 hectares of thematic gardens and greenhouses and is widely considered one of the most important botanical gardens in the world due to the extent of its collections and facilities.

Olympic Park

Olympic Park is the district of the city that was home to many of the venues from the 1976 Summer Olympics, which were held in Montreal. Today, the Montreal Olympic Park Esplanade features outdoor events and activities year-round, as well as the Olympic Stadium which hosts sporting events and shows, along with Montreal Tower, a planetarium, and more. There is more than enough here for several days of activities, and something for everyone to enjoy.

Montreal Nightlife

Complexe Sky

Complexe Sky is the largest gay club in Canada and is one of the most popular gay bars in Montreal. It is a large building with a restaurant on the ground floor called Le Branche, and it has four floors each with different styles of music, including a rooftop terrace with a pool and a hot tub. There are regularly held drag shows, good drinks, and a great crowd. You won’t want to miss an evening out at this iconic Montreal spot.  

Although Le Stud is officially a bear bar, all are welcome. Le Stud has a really friendly atmosphere that includes an outdoor drinking area as well as a large dancing area inside. The bar is known for having fun themed nights and events like “Polar Bear Week” and “Full Moon” parties. It also has a connected restaurant - L'Antre BBQ + Grill which offers a fantastic selection of pub food.

Bar Le Cocktail

Bar Le Cocktail is Montreal’s most popular gay karaoke bar. Every evening a live DJ hosts the karaoke, and Happy Hour is every Friday before 10:30 pm. The bar has two levels and a beautiful terrace for enjoying summer evenings.

Contact a Montreal Realtor Today

If you are ready to find your next perfect home in a Montreal neighborhood that’s a great fit for your interests and lifestyle needs, today is the perfect day to get started. Contact a Montreal gay realtor for a free, no-obligation consultation today!

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The best LGBTQ+ bars and clubs in Montreal

Grab a drink and live it up at the city's welcoming LGBTQ+ hangouts, bars, star-studded drag shows and more.

Montreal is one of the world’s great LGBTQ+ capitals and its queer bars and nightclubs are a pillar of local  nightlife . The city is home to one of the largest Gay Villages in North America, but queer nights and establishments can also be found outside the Village—a testament to the city’s all-embracing joie-de-vivre.

In 2023, for its 17 th year, the lively one-kilometre-long summertime pedestrian mall on Saint-Catherine Street in the Village stretches east from Place Émilie-Gamelin near Berri-UQAM metro station to Papineau Avenue, surrounded by some 40 outdoor terrasses .  Here is the ultimate guide to LGBTQ+ and queer-friendly establishments, including rooftop bars, karaoke, drag shows and more. 

RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best bars in Montreal

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Best LGBTQ+ bars in Montreal

1.  Cabaret Mado

Named for beloved Montreal drag icon Mado Lamotte ,  Cabaret Mado  has been packing them in since it opened in 2002. The club is so well-known you can spot visiting celebrities, such as Charlize Theron, Jean-Paul Gaultier and the Pet Shop Boys. Mostly local, but also some national and international drag artists headline shows and sketch comedy nightly.

2.  Complexe Sky

One of the biggest gay clubs in Canada, Complexe Sky boasts three floors of entertainment topped by a popular summertime rooftop terrasse complete with outdoor pool and jacuzzi. Or enjoy a pitcher of ice-cold sangria on the street-level terrasse which is great for people-watching. Beginning May 11, Montreal drag legend Jimmy Moore hosts the free-admission Le Jimmy Moore Drag Show each Thursday at 10 p.m.

3.  Bar Renard

Bar Renard is popular with LGBTQ+ and straight young hipsters and has a wide selection of wines, microbrews and cocktails. Because of its floral décor, Renard’s unisex washroom has become an iconic selfie location.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by BAR RENARD (@bar.renard)

4.  District Vidéo Lounge

Queer icon Lady Gaga and her entourage partied at  District Vidéo Lounge   when it opened in 2017. Patrons can also select music videos on the indoor screens.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by District Video Lounge (@districtvideolounge)

5.  Aigle Noir / Black Eagle

Montréal’s Black Eagle is called Aigle Noir, an old-school neighbourhood gay bar in the heart of the Village. While it serves the leather and denim communities, it is also popular with bears and the athletic crowd, young and older alike. Cheap drinks, happy hour specials and a cruisy summertime terrasse.

6.  Club Unity

Club Unity is one of the biggest nightclubs in the city, with two dance floors, a VIP lounge and legendary summertime rooftop terrasse with great views of the city.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Club Unity ★ Montréal (@clubunitymtl)

7.  Le Normandie

A Village institution since 1981, friendly sports bar Le Normandie on Atateken Street is a terrific local watering hole with cheap drinks and karaoke. Le Normandie also has two of the nicest summer terrasses in the Village.

8.  Bar Le Cocktail

The friendly and comfortable vibe of legendary Montreal female impersonator Michel Dorion’s Bar Le Cocktail has made the drag bar a popular Village hangout, with live shows by many of the best drag artists in the city, including Dorion.

9.  Le Date Karaoke

There are karaoke bars and then there is Club Date, a classic neighbourhood bar in the Village whose regulars could give Tom Jones and Barbra Streisand a run for their money! The song list features “hundreds of thousands” of titles, including Elvis tunes, 80s ballads and Québécois classics. Patrons can also upload a ​high-definition MP4 digital video document of their performance.

10.  Bar Le Stud

Le Stud’s motto is, “Stud is a men’s bar, where men love men.” Open since 1995, the labyrinthine nightclub is popular with the bear and leather communities, but has a diverse clientele. Couple dancefloors, nightly DJs, pool tables, video poker, two summertime terrasses, and theme events ranging from bear nights to leather kink.

11.  Bar Minéral

The beautifully designed Bar Minéral  on Atateken Street is a wine bar by day and nightclub after dark, with an excellent light food menu.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by MINĒRAL (@barmineral)

12.  Stock Bar

Montreal is famous for its gay male strip joints and none is bigger than Stock Bar in the Village. There's a Ladies Night every Wednesday, and Stock Bar is also home to Montreal’s Violet Hour queer reading series showcasing LGBTQ+ poets, writers and authors.

13.  Cabaret Berlin

Popular performance and event venue for those who love Post-Punk, New Wave, Alternative, Cold Wave and Dark Wave. 

14.  Motel Motel

The new kid on the block, opened in 2023 by the team behind Bar Renard and Bistro Tendresse, Motel Motel presents a new concept in the Village: enjoy a good meal and then party under the same roof. This kitchen offers small dishes designed to be shared, with a magnificent nightclub hidden out back.

15.  Café Cleopatre

Outside the Village, Café Cleopatre, whose building on The Main has been a showbar since the 1890s, is the last remnant of Montreal’s fabled red-light district. There is a female strip joint downstairs, while the upstairs cabaret is an historically queer-friendly space.

16.  Bar Notre-Dame-Des-Quilles

Rosemont neighbourhood bar NDQ is a legendary LGBTQ+ hangout outside the Village. An inclusive and safe space for all, NDQ regularly programs queer-themed events and parties, and is also home to a miniature bowling alley!

View this post on Instagram A post shared by NOTRE DAME DES QUILLES 🎳 (@bar_notre_dame_des_quilles)

17.  Taverne Marion

Located just outside the Village, Taverne Marion was opened in 2022 by the team behind Taverne Midway on The Main. With its white-washed brick walls and large garage-style windows, the bright and cheery Taverne Marion has become a trendy hangout.

18.  Queer nights

There are many LGBTQ+ nights hosted by queer-friendly establishments, such as the  LuvHaus Soirée LGBTQ at Blockhaus Bar in east-end Hochelaga-Maisonneuve; uber-queer MPU  nights (formerly called Mec Plus Ultra) and Thirst Trap nights at Le Belmont nightclub in the Plateau district; and The L Nights , Queen & Queer dance parties and Homopop events are held at various venues, including at such queer-friendly and drag-friendly spaces as Bar Le Ritz PDB and The Diving Bell Social Club .

Sing it out loud and proud in Montreal

Best karaoke bars in Montreal

Here are the best Montreal karaoke bars for your next singsong night out on the town, from private rooms to dive bars. We’ve minced our way around the microphone cords, paid our dues in the rotation and boiled down what’s the best in the city.

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Montreal Gay District: The Village

Montreal  is not the gay destination that comes to mind when you plan a trip to North America. However, the gay district of Montreal is one of the largest and efficacious of the continent.

Called The Village, the gay district occupies an area stretching from Rue Saint-Hubert to Avenue Papineau, the heart of it all happening around Rue Sainte-Catherine (closest metro Beaudry). From June to September, parts of the street are only accessible on foot, making it enjoyable to stroll and shop at the numerous boutiques of the neighborhood.

The Village is full of restaurants with different cuisines, including Portuguese, Vietnamese, Chinese, and of course, French. Many of the restaurants in this area come with fun and peculiar names such as Lallouz Café & Kebaberie (1327 Rue Sainte-Catherine East) Restaurant O'Thym (1112 Boulevard De Maisonneuve E) and our favorite, Chez Ma Grosse Truie Chérie (1801 Rue Ontario E).

Gay saunas in Montreal are also popular, with the two main ones being the GI Joe Sauna (1166 rue Sainte-Catherine Est), and for fans of leather and uniforms, Oasis, which is open 24/7 year-round (1390 rue Sainte-Catherine Est). Also if there are less than ten people in the sauna when you visit, you will be reimbursed.

Best gay bars and clubs in Montreal

In the evening, Montreal really comes alive with several places and activities to discover. Caberet Mado Lamotte is hilarious and always packed (1115 Ste-Catherine Est). The Campus (1111 Rue Ste-Catherine Est) and the Stock Bar (1171 Rue Ste-Catherine Est) are the two main gay bars in Montreal, with strippers attracting fans of bulging muscle-men. Alternatively, The Stud caters to the Bear and Leather crowd (1812 Rue Ste-Catherine Est).

L’Apollon (1450 Ste-Catherine E) and the Sky Complex (1474 rue Sainte-Catherine) each offer several floors of entertainment (bar & club). Sky Bar is not to be missed with its stunning views from the terrace, and dreamy pool and spa.

The most significant events are the Black and Blue Festival organized as a benefit for those living with HIV, and the Divers Cite Festival which lasts a week during the summer and offers a drag show and a huge concert featuring house music. The Image+Nation Festival is the oldest LGBT film festival in the country.

You’ll soon understand why The Village is an open and friendly neighborhood - proof positive is Church Saint-Pierre-Apôtre, which is located right in the heart of The Village and is a memorial to those who lost their lives to AIDS. 

• LE VILLAGE  
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Read Your Way Through Montreal

Montreal is a city as appealing for its beauty as for its shadows. Here, the novelist Mona Awad recommends books that are “both dreamy and uncompromising.”

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By Mona Awad

Read Your Way Around the World is a series exploring the globe through books.

Montreal is an island unto itself. An architect’s paradise. A foodie’s dream, where a pastry will make you weep. It’s a city of extremes. The grandiose maximalism of Cirque du Soleil and Arcade Fire. The gritty punk scene and the thriving diner (casse-croûte) culture. Hot bacchanalian summers that never sleep, and cold brooding winters that draw you underground and inward. Perhaps that’s why it’s also a city of great style.

It’s where I grew up and when we had to move I never thought I would get over leaving. In many ways, I haven’t. It’s still, after all these years, the city of my heart. Playful, sexy, strangely celebratory and, above all, beautiful. Strolling through the city’s iconic neighborhoods — the Plateau, Mile End or Old Montreal to name a few — you see it everywhere you look: the impulse toward aesthetic pleasures, visual harmony. That desire to make everything, be it a bagel or a bookstore, a celebration of itself.

But there is, of course, a dark side to every great city. The literature of Montreal is both dreamy and uncompromising in its depths. It aspires to beauty, but it never forgets its shadows. There, the Wildean axiom “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars” is viscerally felt — and it’s a sentiment that pulses through the cultural blood of the city.

What should I read before I pack my bags?

Many classics of Montreal literature evoke place through a multitude of colorful local characters. “The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz,” by Mordecai Richler, is a quintessential comic Montreal novel of the late 1950s (also try his last novel, “Barney’s Version” ). “The Favorite Game,” by Leonard Cohen, is his autofictional exploration of growing up as a young Jewish boy (try also his collection of poems “The Spice-Box of Earth” ). Short story master Mavis Gallant’s “Varieties of Exile” was originally titled “Montreal Stories ” in Canada for good reason. Consider also Gabrielle Roy’s “The Tin Flute” and Michel Tremblay’s “The Fat Woman Next Door Is Pregnant,” both empathetic portrayals of working class life among French speakers. “How to Make Love to a Negro Without Getting Tired,” by Dany Laferrière, is another ground breaking exploration of Montreal life from the perspective of a Haitian immigrant.

For a little mystery, try Louise Penny’s popular “Three Pines” detective series . Though set in a fictional town in Quebec, her novels often feature Montreal (“ Glass Houses ” in particular.) Kathy Reichs unearths the bones of the city in her thriller “Déjà Dead.” And Montreal’s rich queer culture is captured in the coming-of-age novels “The Geography of Pluto,” by Christopher DiRaddo, and “Bottle Rocket Hearts,” by Zoe Whittall.

Perhaps nothing will get you more excited to travel to Montreal than the dazzling work of Heather O’Neill. In novels like “Lullabies for Little Criminals” and “The Lonely Hearts Hotel,” O’Neill captures both the darkness and the dreaminess of the city in shimmering colors. O’Neill’s latest, “When We Lost Our Heads,” is a dizzying confection, offering a 19th-century glimpse of Montreal’s Golden Square Mile neighborhood with a sharp eye.

What stories provide a glimpse into modern Montreal?

Among more contemporary books, there is an abundance of literary gems: “Our Lady of Mile End,” by Sarah Gilbert, a collection of short stories set in the neighborhood of the same name; “Ru,” by Kim Thúy, a gorgeous Vietnamese immigrant story woven out of poignant vignettes; and “The Wagers, ” by Sean Michaels, which evokes both the quotidian and magical elements of the city.

What books will take me behind closed doors?

A host of brilliant Montreal novels both evoke place and showcase the underbelly experiences of those who, for any number of reasons, live in the margins. In the vitriolic symphony that is “Cockroach,” by Rawi Hage, a struggling Lebanese immigrant imagines himself to be a literal cockroach. “Bone and Bread,” by Saleema Nawaz, explores the tumultuous lives of two orphaned sisters who grew up in a Hasidic community in Mile End. For a dark depiction of the working life (and Montreal loves a dark depiction of the working life), consider “The Dishwasher,” by Stéphane Larue, which was adapted into a film, or the fiery and incantatory “Whore,” by Nelly Arcan.

What literary landmarks and bookstores should I visit?

Librairie Drawn & Quarterly is a beautiful independent bookshop in the heart of Montreal’s Plateau area. It’s also an internationally renowned publisher of comics, including work by Kate Beaton, Adrian Tomine, Lynda Barry and Chester Brown, among many others. The bookstore’s idiosyncratically curated selection of titles and its gorgeous and singular interior make this a must-see. Other lovely English-language bookshops to visit along the way: Librairie Saint-Henri Books , Argo Bookshop (Montreal’s oldest indie), The Word .

Any restaurants I should visit?

In a gastronome’s playground like Montreal, it would be remiss of me not to mention some food stops. As the daughter of a woman who worked in Montreal delis for nearly all of the ’80s, I’m perhaps biased in putting forth that a smoked meat sandwich is its own quintessential experience of the city. I’d recommend Schwartz’s Deli , an institution unto itself that is approaching its centennial. There’s also Moishes Steakhouse , an institution frequented, in its heyday, by none other than Leonard Cohen (presumably before he became a vegetarian).

And nothing evokes Montreal for me (and many other Montrealers) quite like a bagel fresh from the fire. St-Viateur Bagel , located in the historic Mile End neighborhood (and featured in “The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz” ), has been “defining the art of bagel making since 1957,” according to its website. To eat one of their bagels just out of the wood-burning oven is to taste my childhood. But even if it’s not a Proust’s madeleine for you, the baked good — like Montreal itself — is well worth the voyage.

Mona Awad’s Montreal Reading List

“The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz” and “Barney’s Version,” Mordecai Richler

“The Favorite Game” and “The Spice-Box of Earth,” Leonard Cohen

“Varieties of Exile,” Mavis Gallant

“The Tin Flute,” Gabrielle Roy

“The Fat Woman Next Door Is Pregnant,” Michel Tremblay

“How to Make Love to a Negro Without Getting Tired,” Dany Laferrière

“Three Pines” series (including “Glass Houses” ), Louise Penny

“Déjà Dead,” Kathy Reichs

“The Geography of Pluto,” Christopher DiRaddo

“Bottle Rocket Hearts,” Zoe Whittall

“Lullabies for Little Criminals,” “The Lonely Hearts Hotel” and “When We Lost Our Heads,” Heather O’Neill

“Our Lady of Mile End,” Sarah Gilbert

“Ru,” Kim Thúy

“The Wagers,” Sean Michaels

“Cockroach,” Rawi Hage

“Bone and Bread,” Saleema Nawaz

“The Dishwasher,” Stéphane Larue

“Whore,” Nelly Arcan

Mona Awad is the author of several novels, including “ Bunny ” and, most recently, “ Rouge ,” which is set partially in Montreal.

Explore More in Books

Want to know about the best books to read and the latest news start here..

The complicated, generous life  of Paul Auster, who died on April 30 , yielded a body of work of staggering scope and variety .

“Real Americans,” a new novel by Rachel Khong , follows three generations of Chinese Americans as they all fight for self-determination in their own way .

“The Chocolate War,” published 50 years ago, became one of the most challenged books in the United States. Its author, Robert Cormier, spent years fighting attempts to ban it .

Joan Didion’s distinctive prose and sharp eye were tuned to an outsider’s frequency, telling us about ourselves in essays that are almost reflexively skeptical. Here are her essential works .

Each week, top authors and critics join the Book Review’s podcast to talk about the latest news in the literary world. Listen here .

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The Diaries of Mr Lucas by Hugo Greenhalgh review – a kaleidoscope of postwar gay life

A visit to a delapidated London flat unlocks a treasure-trove of reminiscences across six decades

I n 1994, Hugo Greenhalgh was a researcher on a television documentary about the history of male sex workers and their clients. Dispatched to interview George Leo John Lucas, a 68-year-old retired civil servant, and a loyalty-card-worthy frequenter of London’s bygone “meatracks”, Greenhalgh arrives at a dishevelled Clapham flat that makes Miss Havisham’s Satis House resemble a Barratt show home. The reeking Lucas emerges from the detritus in a torn suit, looking “as if he’d risen from the grave”. What catches the young man’s eye even as he holds his nose is an entire wall of diaries: a volume a year since 1948.

These turn out to comprise an unparalleled document of an ordinary gay man (rather than a Kenneth Williams or a Joe Orton) eking out his life. The Britain he inhabits staggers its way from an easy-come, easy-go tolerance of queerness during the war years, to an ice age of bigotry scarcely tempered by the partial decriminalisation of sex between men in England and Wales in 1967. Through it all, Lucas calmly goes about his business: working at the Board of Trade by day, out on the gay scene at night, picking up labourers, guardsmen and gangsters – some paid for, others won fair – nursing assorted crushes and grudges, then cataloguing it all once his bed has gone cold.

Greenhalgh maintained a friendship with Mr Lucas (“never George”) for the next 20 years, pledging to make sure that the diaries were published – posthumously, as per their author’s wishes. Now, 10 years after Lucas’s death at the age of 88, Greenhalgh has made more than good on that promise. The resulting book is no conventional collection of edited journals, rather an overview of almost 60 years of diary-keeping (ill health forced Lucas to abandon the habit in 2009, while a few volumes were mislaid along the way), shaped by Greenhalgh and interspersed with his running commentary. It is a kaleidoscopic portrait of postwar queer life – up to and including the author’s own reflections on the LGBT+ landscape of the 2020s.

Born in Chadwell Heath, Essex, Lucas was raised by savagely homophobic parents who seized every opportunity to berate and belittle him. Fleeting sexual experiences in the suburbs are remembered wistfully once he is in the cut and thrust of Soho’s bitchy, bristling gay pubs. Before that, though, there are brushes with the law, including arrest and brief imprisonment for cruising in a Düsseldorf park.

The fear of prosecution and persecution is ubiquitous, as when Lucas gets wind of his colleagues’ suspicions about him. (All the fault of some over-generous Christmas gift-giving, it seems.) That only makes his lack of shame and his devotion to pleasure feel all the braver. Violence is never far away, though he knows better than to report it: “Bald middle‑aged homosexuals do not excite much judicial (or police) sympathy,” he sighs. Rushed to hospital after being attacked, he is upbraided by the nurse, who asks: “Did you do something bad to him?”

These aren’t star-studded journals, though there are stomp-on parts for the Kray twins. Throughout the 1960s, Lucas is besotted with, and eventually tormented by, a ne’er-do-well known as Irish Peter, who starts out selling stolen knick-knacks before falling in with the Krays and ending up as the protagonist of red-top splashes such as: “Soho Gang Torturer Sought”. This brings Lucas to his wits’ end, and close to murder, lending the book a narrative focus amid the arbitrary parade of events typical of any diary. It should also form the spine of the (surely inevitable) film version: I see Bill Nighy or Mark Gatiss as Lucas, Leo Woodall as Irish Peter.

In the opening pages, Greenhalgh reflects on whether the diaries present the real Lucas or “a creation of his own”. The author admits that he, too, is in the persona-building business. “I consciously made [Mr Lucas] into a character,” he says. Though Greenhalgh weaves himself into the text, confessing his own familiarity with sex work from both sides, he never muscles in on the subject; this is patently not The Lady in the Van, even if Lucas’s eccentricity, bloody-mindedness and plummeting hygiene recall Alan Bennett’s Miss Shepherd. Rather, Greenhalgh’s manner is almost teacherly: “Do we believe Mr Lucas?” he asks us, as though addressing the classroom.

If he errs at all, it is when packaging Lucas’s behaviour for modern sensibilities – pointing out where he is being predatory or exploitative, say, or reminding us of attitudes that wouldn’t wash today. That can feel like a thumb on the scale. What’s remarkable, though, is the book’s success in presenting Lucas in all his contradictions: extraordinary yet parochial, compassionate but snobbish (“What else are the lower classes for?” the diarist wonders of his predilection for “one’s social inferiors”), bemoaning homophobia while lamenting the disinhibition of 1980s gay magazines. Still, it helps that both Greenhalgh and Lucas can write. “The legalisation of homosexual intercourse in 1967 has been a relief to me personally, but has come at a time when the opportunities of such intercourse are lessening,” he says at the end of 1969. “What, in the fifties, would have been the ‘Open Sesame’ to a treasure house, has unlocked the door of Mother Hubbard’s cupboard.” How poignant that the literary larder he leaves behind is so abundantly stocked.

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Gay, Lesbian, Pansexual, Bisexual, Transgender Pics to Be Pitched at Queer Screen Mardi Gras Film Fest Showcase in Cannes (EXCLUSIVE)

By Annika Pham

Annika Pham

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In its second collaboration with the Marché du Film ’s Goes to Cannes showcase strand, Australia’s Queer Screen Mardi Gras Film Festival will unveil four projects and a finished film, all looking for global sales, distribution, top-up financing and festival selection. 

Popular on Variety

Inspired by award-winning writer-director Rohan Parshuram’s own experience, the project was developed as part of Venice’s Biennale College Cinema and garnered industry attention when first pitched at the Film London Production Finance Market 2021, Film Bazaar’s NFDC Coproduction Market 2022 and Venice Production Bridge 2023.

A long-time champion of queer talent development and support via Queer Screen, Australia’s foremost LGBTIQ+ cultural venture, Rose hopes this year’s Goes in Cannes will equally draw attention on her organization and the selected filmmaking teams. 

“Several projects from last year experienced tangible benefits, securing deals and festival selections as a result of their participation. Additionally, the three teams who attended in person, made their debut at the Marché du Film and had an extraordinary professional development experience, extending beyond the projects we showcased,” she notes.

Here’s a rundown of this year’s five titles:

“Arms of a Man,”  (“Sabar Bonda”, Rohan Parashuram Kanawade, India/UK/France)

This semi-autobiographical story by Kanawade (winner of the Satyajit Ray Short Film Award at the London Indian Film Festival with “U Ushacha”) turns on city-dweller Anand who spends a ten-day mourning period in the rugged countryside of his late father’s ancestral village, where he bonds with his unmarried childhood friend, an itinerant goat herder. Shot in Marathi, the film is produced by Neeraj Churi of U.K.-based Lotus Visual Productions, with India’s Taran Tantra Telefilms, Dark Stories, in co-production with Bridge PostWorks, Moonweave and France’s Arsam International. Delivery is slated for July.

“From All Sides,”  (Bina Bhattacharya, Australia) The story turns on a multiracial bisexual married couple, in an open relationship, and their teenage children, as they find themselves beset from all sides while navigating work, school, sex, friendships and romances, in the outer suburbs of Sydney. “I’m proud to have made a film on the cutting edge, that will spark conversations and challenge people, with characters that are simultaneously sympathetic and questionable,” says Bhattacharya about her feature debut. In post-production, the project is produced by Gemme de la Femme Pictures’ Alexander McGhee with co-producer Daisy Montalvo. Screen Inc. holds distribution rights for Australasia.

“Heart of the Man,”  (David Cook, Australia) In his debut as a writer-director, actor Cook turns on a young boxing prodigy (rising Australian actor Parker Little) forced to come to terms with his sexuality, while battling between fulfilling his father’s dream and becoming his own man. “The film was so important for me to make, as it touched on many of my personal experiences growing up. I wanted to create something that hopefully resonates with people on a deeper level,” says the filmmaker, who also stars in the film and produces for New Dream Productions, together with Blake Northfield of Bronte Pictures. The film was released last February by Screen Inc in Australia to solid reviews.

“Under the Influencer,”  (Bryn Woznicki, Lauren Neal, U.S.) Cutting edge tech-driven thriller drama in which a struggling digital artist has her work appropriated by a popular art curator. In an act of revenge, the artist plots a psychological showdown against her exploitative mentor. Woznicki is directing alongside tech director, editor and lead actor Neal, with Jill Bennett and Katie Hall serving as producers. The pic, in post-production, is the first title coming out of Fair Play Films, a new banner from the “Under the Influencer” team focused on high quality micro-budget content for niche audiences.

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Protesters at McGill pro-Palestinian encampment are staying put despite warning for them to leave

Protesters push back against university's allegations of antisemitism.

See the moment protesters are told to dismantle McGill encampment

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Protesters at a pro-Palestinian encampment at McGill University say they aren't going anywhere.

Shortly before 4 p.m., Nicholas Thibert-Auclair, who works for McGill security, told the protesters they "have no right to be here" and would have to leave the area. Protesters were handed pamphlets telling them to disperse immediately with all their belongings.

Thibert-Auclair returned to give a "final warning" and said the university would "consider other options" if protesters don't comply, including calling the police. 

McGill confirmed this information in a statement sent Monday afternoon.

University officials said earlier Monday that the number of tents at the encampment on McGill University's downtown Montreal campus had tripled since Saturday.

The protesters set up about 20 tents Saturday afternoon with the intent of staying on McGill University's lower field "indefinitely." They joined a wave of pro-Palestinian demonstrations held on campuses across the United States who want to see universities divest from companies with business ties to Israel .

In a statement published Monday, the university's media relations office said the situation with protesters on campus had "shifted significantly."

• McGill asks police for help as pro-Palestinian protesters dig in on 4th day of encampment

"We have become aware that many of them, if not the majority, are not members of the McGill community," the statement reads.

University officials also said they saw video evidence of "some people using unequivocally antisemitic language and intimidating behaviour" on campus. CBC News requested a copy of the video, but the university has not responded. 

Pro-Palestinian protesters encamped at McGill for 3rd day

Zeca Eufemia, a McGill student and teaching assistant who was among those protesting, said the encampment had, indeed, tripled in size, as the university statement claimed. 

• Analysis A look at where McGill's money goes — and why protesters say it's a problem

"We have had people coming in from the community," he said. "These allegations of antisemitism, I have been here since Saturday, I have not seen any of that."

Eufemia said supporters from other universities had come to the McGill encampment. He said he was protesting to ensure that money from the tuition he pays doesn't go to companies that could make weapons that will be used in Gaza.

"We are making our voices heard," he told CBC News.

The protesters have published a list of investments they object to, which includes a pproximately $73 million of investments that McGill says it holds in a variety of companies, including Lockheed Martin, an aerospace company that manufactures weapons used by the Israeli military.

McGill publishes a list of its investments online , showing an endowment of more than $1 billion invested in various securities. 

Sasha Boucher, a member of the Revolutionary Communist Party who was not a McGill student but said he was at the encampment in solidarity with Palestinians, said the protesters felt support from the general public. 

"We have actually more food than we know what to do with. We're telling people to stop bringing us stuff — for now, we're going to need more stuff later," he said. "It's been going very well, there's a very strong sense of solidarity here." 

Throughout the weekend, McGill's media relations office and Montreal police said the protest had been peaceful. 

• FRONT BURNER The growing wave of campus protests
• 'We're not going anywhere,' say pro-Palestinian protesters at McGill encampment

Nanre Nafziger, an assistant professor in McGill's department of integrated studies in education, said she came to the encampment to support the protesting students. 

"We stand by them," she said. "They have the right to protest. They have the right to make demands of the university and we also want to stand by and let them know we are in support of them fully." 

Israel launched its war against Hamas after the militant group's attacks on Israel on Oct. 7. During the attacks, some 1,200 people were killed and around 250 were taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies. More than 130 hostages are still being held in Gaza, including women and children.

Health authorities in Gaza say Israel's offensive in the enclave has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians — the majority of them women and children — and has led to the imminent risk of famine, the destruction of key hospitals and, according to the United Nations, the displacement of 1.9 million people.

David Garfinkle, a Jewish man who lives near McGill's downtown campus, came by the protest on Monday. 

"I don't like it," he said of the protest, saying that Israel was targeting Hamas, not Palestinian civilians. 

But he acknowledged that the war's death toll was incredibly high. 

"If 30,000 of my neighbours and family were being killed I would probably do the same thing," he said, "But I would let [Israel] have what they want.… We want Hamas to go bye-bye." 

Garfinkle said the protesters should be marching on the streets, not occupying McGill's campus, and should be calling for Hamas to give themselves up. 

Right to protest at McGill must be respected but violence can’t be tolerated, minister says

Federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller, whose Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs riding includes McGill University, told journalists "the right to protest and the right to free speech is excessively important, especially in an academic setting" on Monday.

He said that right "doesn't permit violence," including hate speech, which will be watched "carefully."

Clarifications

• A previous version of this story contained information from a person who misidentified themselves to CBC. We have removed the comments. May 03, 2024 3:52 PM ET

Corrections

• A previous version of this story stated that McGill's investments in the 50 companies listed in the data set released by the students totalled at least $19.3 million. In fact, those investments are worth at least $73 million. Apr 30, 2024 10:08 PM ET

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Matthew Lapierre is a digital journalist at CBC Montreal. He previously worked for the Montreal Gazette and the Globe and Mail. You can reach him at [email protected].

With files from Kwabena Oduro, Sarah Leavitt and Lauren McCallum

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Methodists end anti-gay bans, closing 50 years of battles over sexuality for mainline Protestants

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It took just a few days for United Methodist delegates to remove a half-century’s worth of denominational bans on  gay clergy  and  same-sex marriages .

But when asked at a news conference about the lightning speed of the changes, the Rev. Effie McAvoy took a longer view.

“Oh, it didn’t take days, honey,” she said.

It took decades of activism for a change that was “so very healing,” said McAvoy, pastor of Shepherd of the Valley United Methodist Church in Hope, Rhode Island. A member of the Queer Delegate Caucus at last week’s  UMC General Conference  in Charlotte, she was grateful to be part of the historic moment.

The reversals can be seen as marking the end of a half-century of epic battles and  schisms over LGBTQ involvement  — not only in the United Methodist Church but in U.S. mainline Protestant denominations overall. Those are the tall-steeple churches in myriad town squares and rural crossroads, traditionally “big-tent” and culturally mainstream congregations — some predating America’s independence.

The nation’s largest Methodist, Presbyterian, Episcopal and Lutheran denominations have all now removed barriers to LGBTQ participation in the pulpit and at the altar. But this comes amid long-term declines in membership and influence.

Surely there will be skirmishes to come. Individual congregations, and entire regions across the world, will sort out the implications. Controversies have grown among some conservative evangelical churches and colleges, which largely avoided past battles.

But for mainline Protestants, last week’s General Conference looks like a landmark. It was a relatively quiet coda to what had been an almost annual scene on America’s religious calendar — impassioned showdowns at legislative assemblies of Protestant denominations, marked by protests, political maneuverings and earnest prayers.

Across the decades, there were many cases of ecclesiastical civil disobedience — clergy doing ordinations and marriages that defied church bans, some of whom were tried for heresy or other infractions.

“A part of me still doesn’t believe it,” said the Rev. Frank Schaefer, one of the last United Methodist ministers to face church discipline after presiding at the same-sex wedding of his son. Schaefer was restored to ministry in 2014 by a Methodist appellate panel after a lower tribunal had defrocked him.

“We’ve fought for it so long and hard, and there were so many disappointments along the way,” said Schaefer, now a pastor in California. “Our tears have turned into tears of joy.”

But the UMC faces the same dire challenges as Lutheran, Presbyterian, Episcopal and smaller mainline denominations that took similar routes.

All lost large numbers of congregations in schisms, and they have had to navigate fraught relations with partner churches in Africa and elsewhere.

Retired United Methodist Bishop Will Willimon, a professor at Duke Divinity School, supported greater LGBTQ inclusion in the church — but said bigger issues loom.

“We’re an aging denomination,” he said. “We share that with so many mainline denominations. Unfortunately I don’t see how this vote addresses any of that.”

Willimon said even conservative breakaway groups like the new Global Methodist Church, comprised of many former UMC congregations, face similar challenges with predominately white, aging memberships.

In the U.S., mainline churches have lost millions of members since their peak in the 1960s — some to schism and many to underlying demographics. Their members are aging and don’t have many children, and they struggle to retain the children they do have, said Ryan Burge, associate professor of political science at Eastern Illinois University.

“There is no silver bullet” for reversing mainline decline, said Burge, who studies religious demographics.

The United Methodists counted 5.4 million U.S. members in 2022 — less than half their 1960s peak, and the recent departure of about 7,600 mostly conservative congregations will lower that number further. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s 1.1 million membership is barely a quarter its 1960s peak. Other denominations have similar trends.

The mainline battles over LGBTQ issues began heating up in the early 1970s, before those initials were used.

A United Methodist General Conference in 1972 declared homosexual practice “incompatible with Christian teaching.” Other denominations issued similar teachings. Some imposed explicit bans on gay clergy.

An Episcopal bishop was tried and acquitted of heresy in 1996 for ordaining a gay pastor. The 2003 ordination of the first openly gay Episcopal bishop, Gene Robinson, ignited long-simmering controversies.

Conservative and liberal groups formed their own church caucuses for denominational legislative sessions, where Scriptures and slogans flew back and forth between proclamations of Robert’s Rules of Order.

Progressive Presbyterians blocked an entrance to a General Assembly in 2000 and were arrested. As the United Methodists steadily tightened LGBTQ bans, progressives disrupted General Conferences with protests, drums and songs. A conservative United Methodist leader, the Rev. Bill Hinson, roiled the 2004 General Conference in Pittsburgh with a call for denominational divorce — even though his side had won all its legislative battles.

“Why do we go on hurting each other?” asked Hinson. Others quickly tamped down the idea, but it was a foreshadowing.

By the second decade of the 21st century, Presbyterians, Lutherans and Episcopalians had largely dismantled their bans. They navigated major strains with partner churches elsewhere in the world.

Substantial minorities of their U.S. congregations joined more conservative denominations, saying the sexuality debates were symptoms of a deeper theological chasm.

The United Methodist Church is unique because it is international, with many delegates from countries with conservative sexual values and laws. A special legislative session in 2019 reinforced LGBTQ bans.

That result proved short-lived.

U.S. churches increasingly defied the bans and elected more progressive delegates for this year’s gathering. Many churches began disaffiliating under a temporary measure approved in 2019 that let churches keep their properties under favorable conditions.

To Willimon, that process was devastating. Whether the congregation stayed or left, peoples’ relationships were ruptured, he said.

Many churches went independent, but thousands joined the new Global Methodist Church, which pledges to enforce restrictions on LGBTQ clergy and same-sex marriage.

Now attention turns to Africa, where the UMC counts 4.6 million members.

One group of African delegates protested outside the General Conference and said their members would discuss whether to disaffiliate.

“The General Conference did not listen to us,” said the Rev. Jerry Kulah of the conservative group, Africa Initiative, contending the denomination departed from biblical teaching on marriage. “We do not believe we know better than Jesus.”

Bishop John Wesley Yohanna of Nigeria said he would likely leave the denomination after his term ends, though he is staying for now to help heal a rift in the local church. “From the tradition of the church in Africa,” he added, “marriage is between a man and a woman, period.”

But other African delegates are heartened by a plan that expands regional autonomy on such matters. They said African churches will keep the marriage and ordination bans in their region while remaining in the denomination.

“Our decision to stay in the United Methodist Church is not conditioned by what happens in America,” said the Rev. Ande Emmanuel of Southern Nigeria. “God has called us to a church, and the church is not a property of the United States.”

Bishop Eben Nhiwatiwa of Zimbabwe the majority of the African bishops at General Conference agree the regionalization plan respects local cultures.

The United Methodist Church was the last of the major U.S. mainline groups to liberalize its policies on sexuality in part because of its large presence in rural, small-town and Southern areas, where a more conservative sexual ethos prevails, said James Hudnut-Beumler, a professor of American Christian History at Vanderbilt University. He is a Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) minister and co-author of “The Future of Mainline Protestantism.”

“That’s why they’re the last to go,” he said.

And it won’t automatically bring back the more-accepting younger generations who left over the bans, said Hudnut-Beumler, adding that conservative evangelical congregations are not exempt.

“Some conservative megachurch pastor may be thinking to himself, ‘We won this. Look what happened to the Methodists and Presbyterians and Episcopalians,’” said Hudnut-Beumler. “Don’t be so smug.”

The Associated Press

'9-1-1' stars talk Maddie and Chimney's roller-coaster wedding, Buck's 'perfect' gay kiss

Spoiler alert! The following story contains major details about Season 7, Episode 6 of ABC's "9-1-1," which aired on Thursday.

LOS ANGELES – In Thursday’s fraught new episode of “ 9-1-1 ,” Maddie and Chimney tied the knot in the most aptly perfect way possible: splayed in a hospital bed.

The couple’s nuptials were severely delayed after Chimney (Kenneth Choi), a firefighter paramedic, got amnesia and went missing the day before their wedding. Using police reports, traffic cams and hospital records, dispatcher Maddie ( Jennifer Love Hewitt ) pieced together that her fiancé contracted viral encephalitis on the job, swelling his brain with potentially fatal consequences.

“In typical ‘9-1-1’ fashion, it’s a roller coaster,” says Hewitt, traipsing across a wire-laden soundstage in a billowing wedding dress. “They can’t just show up at a church and walk down the aisle. That doesn’t happen on our show!”

How the new episode of '9-1-1' reflects Maddie and Chimney's love story

 “9-1-1” has long endeared fans with its outrageous and heart-pounding emergencies, ranging from shark attacks to plane crashes to a sinking cruise ship in the Season 7 premiere, which marked the show's move from Fox to ABC. But walking across the palm tree-lined Fox studio lot on a balmy March morning, the atmosphere couldn’t be more serene: Seated between takes, extras in hospital gowns are texting, doing crosswords and swapping recommendations on kimchi burritos. (At the risk of being an LA cliché, one scrubs-clad man is buried in a screenwriting handbook, jotting notes.)

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

The cast is shooting the episode’s final scenes with Maddie and Chimney after he was tracked down woozily wandering the streets alone. Now regaining some of his memory, they decide to swap vows in his hospital room, inviting friends and family to watch as the 118 fire captain Bobby (Peter Krause) officiates the informal ceremony.

“Love could not wait, so we’re all here to celebrate that,” says Angela Bassett, who plays field sergeant Athena, sitting by a hospital bed between takes. “We’re off that big cruise ship for a minute, so whenever we get days like this, I appreciate it!”

'9-1-1': Angela Bassett, Jennifer Love Hewitt can't believe the 'crazy' 100th episode

Throughout the emotional episode, Chimney has flashbacks to the ups and downs of his relationship with Maddie, from confrontations with her violent ex-husband to her surprise pregnancy with a baby girl. "It's a pastiche of his entire arc," says Tim Minear, the show's creator. "Like Maddie says at the end, 'We always find our way back to each other.' That has been a repeated pattern with them ever since they got together."

After the bride and groom say "I do," wedding guests spill out into the hospital halls, chatting as they peck at small plates of white-frosted sheet cake. The prop sweets received somewhat sour reviews: “I’ve had a little bit. It’s fine,” Krause says politely.

“It’s from Ralphs," Choi adds of the local supermarket chain, cracking a smile as he spots a publicist hovering nearby. “But I’m going to say it’s delicious!”

'9-1-1' creator says Buck's gay kiss didn't 'come out of nowhere'

Thursday’s episode also includes another milestone for Maddie's brother, Buck (Oliver Stark), a once-womanizing firefighter who shared a kiss with pilot Tommy (Lou Ferrigno Jr.) in the series’ 100 th  episode last month. Buck’s co-workers excitedly learn about his new relationship at the hospital, where he passionately smooches Tommy after the wedding.

“It’s one of my favorite scenes,” Choi says. “It’s a reveal for most of the characters that Buck has found a love interest he’s actually interested in. It’s adorable, it’s cute, it’s perfect, and the audience is going to love it.”

Stark likens Buck’s journey to “a hamster wheel”: “He’s been taking one step forward and two steps back, as is quite typical of being in your late 20s and early 30s, trying to find yourself,” the actor explains. “As we’ve moved into this seventh season, he’s found a way to really discover who he wants to be.”

The romance has been met with some backlash from homophobic viewers, whose hateful comments Stark responded to on Instagram last month. Minear says “Buck has been queer-coded” since Season 2, and his awakening “doesn’t come out of nowhere.” In a 2021 crossover episode with Fox's spinoff series “9-1-1: Lone Star,” Buck had a suggestive moment with Austin firefighter T.K. (Ronen Rubinstein).

"T.K. assumed that Buck was coming on to him," Minear says. The storyline "is a thing I've been toying with for a long time, and it just felt like the stars aligned."

Angela Bassett reveals the surprising ways life mirrors her '9-1-1' character

With seven seasons of “9-1-1” and four seasons of “Lone Star” under his belt, Minear says it’s increasingly challenging to come up with new disaster scenarios for emergency responders to tackle. Producers look to real-life 911 calls for inspiration .

“There was one night where something fell out of an airplane in both shows,” Minear recalls with a laugh. “In Year 1, I remember thinking, ‘How am I going to sustain this?’ A bouncy house flies away, a guy gets sucked into an escalator – you’re burning through these viral video ideas at an incredible pace.”

The current season kicked off with a traumatic, high-seas honeymoon for Athena and Bobby. Bassett, who received an honorary Oscar earlier this year, says the writers always keep it fresh with situations that are both wild and relatable.

“Interestingly enough, sometimes Athena’s experiences mirror my own,” says Bassett, who shares 18-year-old twins with her husband, actor Courtney B. Vance. That’s true “especially this year, with Athena and Bobby being empty nesters, and seeing what their dynamic is like when there’s calm.”

This summer, “my kids are going off to college, so I’m like, ‘Courtney, what’re we going to do? Are we going to travel?’” Bassett adds. They would like to vacation in Bali, Norway and Brazil.

“Just no cruises, though, please!”

Fierté Montréal Festival

Aug 1 to 11, 2024: Sun, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat.

Celebrations will also take place in the Village and downtown.

Characteristics

• Partial access for persons with restricted physical ability

Free activities and Fees for activities

Applications

Founded in 2007 as an initiative of Montréal’s 2SLGBTQI+ communities, this festival is the largest gathering of people of sexual and gender diversity in the Francophone world. Promoting their rights and celebrating their cultural richness and progress, the organization works to support and promote local communities while serving as a beacon of hope for people around the world who continue to battle injustice.

Montréal Pride is a 11-day showcase of equality and inclusion which includes fabulous free shows, panels, the ever-popular two Community Day and, of course, the Pride Parade. Over 200 groups take part in the Parade, for a total of 12,000 colourful participants performing in front of a whopping 300,000 or more spectators.

Prix Distinction 2024, Best marketing communication initiative / Budget of $25,000 or more

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