There’s a feeling I get every summer I spend in Montreal that has me tickled pink. It starts at the end of June and grows until it reaches the climax the last few weeks of August. It’s the LGBT energy in the air. A feeling of pride, inclusiveness, community and yes, that famous humidity-heat thing. Now that we’re reluctantly being pulled into fall, check out the video for a gander back on some summer highlights in Montreal!

Divers/Cité was “all together different” this year with a big move to the Vieux-Port. And let me say, this festival practically double-rainbows the entire Old Port. Watching world class entertainment with the striking Montreal skyline in the background was a sight to behold. Tourists who would never usually attend such an event found themselves drawn in by the sounds of Divers/Cité’s roster of DJs, the world’s largest drag show Mascara, and live music from Quebec and International artists.

Fierte Montreal Pride 2012 broke records in their 6th year with over 320,000 total spectators! This is definitely attributed to the hard work in adding a variety of programming like the first ever official Dyke March, Kids Day, and the Generation Boomer show. Not to mention classics like T-Dance going to a whole new level with a performance by Shangela (beautifully captured by Montreal Buzz videographer Guillaume) that will knock your socks off.

The Fierte Montreal Pride Parade 2012 under the theme “Our Flag, Our Pride” drew another record crowd of 167,000 people along René-Levesque all thanks to the 3,000 energetic and divers participants! The jury awarded some parade floats in six categories with the “Most Crowd Pleasing Float” going to the Conseil Quebecois des Gais et Lesbiennes, and the “Corporate Float of the Year” going to Loblaws with their awesome rainbow shopping cart explosion:

Another community highlight was Pink Dot, a movement that originated in Asia and has hundreds of people making a giant pink dot in a silent yet powerful statement about global LGBT human rights.

Tourisme Montreal kept the competition fierce and the silliness fresh with the 3rd Edition of Queer of the Year! This was the first edition won by a female, Ivette Gonzalez-Alé and we can’t wait to have her back to Montreal as part of her prize package ! Check out all the QOTY shenanigans that went down here.

We’ll see everyone again next summer for another round of LGBT Pride events that only a place like Montreal could host with such flare and class.

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