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MONTREAL, August 10, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – According to recent articles in La Press, the Montreal Gay Pride was heavily funded by the Canadian government on national and local levels this year.

The July 26 to August 1, 2004 event was organized and promoted by Montreal’s foremost gay rights organization, Divers/Cité. (See website, https://www.diverscite.org/anglais/index.htm). The organization, whose mandate is to “promote and develop gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual and transgender rights and cultures”, received over $550,000 in government subsidies: $ 200,000 from the Government of Quebec, $160,000 from the Government of Canada, $130,000 from the City of Montreal and $60,000 from the Federal Heritage Ministry (see La Presse, Tuesday August 3 page A4 and Wednesday August 4, page A8). Taxpayers nationwide might be surprised to know where their money is going.  Divers/Cité‘s website is a collage of gay promotion images on a hot pink background: gays and lesbians in each others arm and laps, gays and lesbians reveling in the streets, gay and lesbian stage artists in full concert. The site offers free downloads of photos, video clips and banners.  Visitors to the site find links to the official web pages of the Canadian government, the provincial government of Quebec, the city of Montreal, CBC Television, Air Canada, and Molson, all listed as sponsors of Divers/Cité. While the organization prides itself on its credentials – non-profit status, government recognition, community service – the events it promotes are full of depravity.

Excerpts From Divers/Cité ads:  “Thirteen performers lay bare their bodies and souls while themes of violence, death, despair and heartbreak are bluntly explored.”“Joining the team again for the fourth year in a row, Mistress of ceremony and fabulous hostess Touria will make sure everything is in order to realize your deepest lesbian desires.”  Divers/Cité states that its aim is “educating and fighting homophobia, sexism and racism” and says that the Gay Pride event originated as a response to the “negative effects of stereotyping and discrimination.”

jmo