A relative baby in terms of pride celebrations in North America , Divers/Cité, Montreal ‘s lesbian, gay, bisexual and trangendered Pride Festivities, has continued to attract a record number of people each year, tipping the scale with over one million participants during the 7-day festival in the year 2002. An event, which was founded in 1993, that treats revellers to a series of events and activities that inspire the soul and tantalize the senses.
Organizers of Divers/Cité consist of a dedicated group of hard-working individuals who work year round on producing and promoting Montreal’s only LGBT pride celebration, held at the end of July/beginning of August every year. The Divers/Cité event consists of three parts: the 7-day Cultural Festival, the Community Day, and the Pride Parade.
The Cultural Festival
What sets Divers/Cité apart from its many counterparts is its 7-day cultural component. The week leading up to the Pride Parade is one filled with a number of free outdoor shows and parties. Place Émile-Gamelin, an open park in the heart of downtown Montreal, is home, night after night, to Divers/Cité's Cultural Festival. From modern dance to film screenings, Latin beats to Jazz vocals, drag show extravaganzas to DJs, Disco tunes, and nouveau Electro, each night offers a free 3-hour epic stage production featuring performances by the crème de la crème of Quebec's artistic community. While all these events are free, it must be stressed that Divers/Cité does rely heavily on donations, which are much appreciated. Complementing the official Divers/Cité events are a number of associated community events that further enrich the week-long festivities. For a complete listing of the cultural events, click on this link.
Divers/Cité's wildly popular Community Day attracts some 200 000 people who meet at the cultural crossroads of this outdoor community fair. The all-day popular outdoor event gives the public an opportunity to meet those that are actively involved in promoting the LGBT culture in Quebec. Dozens of community and advocacy groups are on hand from sports teams to social clubs, discussion groups to youth services, and LGBT associations to HIV/AIDS advocacy groups; 
Community Day is a day where all of Quebec's groups can educate the public about their services, raise funds, and recruit new members. Participants cruise the strip, take in the sights, and get informed about the dozens of community and advocacy groups working in the province of Quebec.
Whether it is in six-inch heels, combat boots, running shoes or on wheels, people from all walks of life take to the streets of Montreal to celebrate their collective belief in the power of diversity. Everyone in the city turns up for this event. From the 4 600 participants in 1993, to the record 800 000 participants at Montreal’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and trangendered Pride Parade in 2002, Divers/Cité remains a symbol of Montreal's open spirit. THE best-attended, most inclusive, and most extravagant event in Quebec , Divers/Cité's Pride Parade is a blazing succession of colour, community, sass, and sexiness. Following the parade, head down to Berri and Ste.Catherine St and party all day and into the night taking in the number of block parties, performances, and La Grande Danse, Canada’s largest outdoor House event with over 50 000 revelers.
For more information, please visit the official Divers/Cité web site at www.Diverscite.org
Équipe AlterHéros
Julie-Maude Beauchesne
François Paquette
Dee Gamme
Samuel A.
Marion Téjédor