MPs condemn Montreal Pride organizers for barring Jewish LGBTQ+ group from parade

Montreal Gazette

2 days ago

Five federal MPs have condemned Montreal Pride for excluding a Jewish LGBTQ+ group from this year's parade, calling the decision 'profoundly hurtful' and urging organizers to reverse it.
In a joint letter, the MPs said they were 'deeply troubled' by the move to bar Ga'ava from Sunday's march. They said the decision goes against the values of inclusion and solidarity Pride is meant to uphold.
'Ga'ava, Canada's oldest Jewish LGBTQ+ organization, has long provided a vital space for queer Jews to express both their sexual and religious identities with pride,' they wrote. 'Its exclusion from this year's parade is especially troubling, as it sends a message that Jewish identity is not welcome in LGBTQ+ spaces.'
The letter was signed by Liberal MPs Anthony Housefather, Leslie Church, Alexandra Mendès, Annie Koutrakis and Sherry Romanado.
It also criticized the exclusion of CIJA, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, calling it the representative body for Canada's mainstream Jewish communities.
'By excluding this organization, Montreal Pride is effectively telling the vast majority of Montreal's Jewish community, which has been an important part of this city for almost 300 years, that it is no longer welcome at Pride,' the MPs wrote. 'This is entirely unacceptable.'
Accusations of 'hate speech'
Fierté Montréal confirmed Thursday that Ga'ava had been barred from the parade after a complaint was made about the group. The decision was taken by the event's ombudsperson, according to board secretary Marlot Marleau.
Carlos Godoy, president of Ga'ava, said the group was informed Wednesday it would not be allowed to march. He said in an interview organizers accused the group of using 'hate speech' by describing opponents of their participation as 'pro-terror' and 'pro-Hamas.'
'I've never heard such an outlandish and ludicrous statement in my professional life,' Godoy told The Gazette.
A CIJA representative said the organization was also barred, though Fierté declined to confirm that publicly.
The controversy follows Quebec singer-songwriter Safia Nolin's withdrawal from a Pride performance in protest of Ga'ava's planned inclusion. Nolin criticized the group's support for Israel and said the presence of Israeli flags at the event would be 'unacceptable.'
Wider political context
It also comes just as Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Canada's intention to recognize a Palestinian state under certain conditions — the third G7 country to signal sit would do so — citing Israel's military action in Gaza that has killed 'tens of thousands.'
The war in Gaza began after Hamas launched a deadly attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking hundreds hostage.
Marleau told The Gazette that Fierté Montréal has adopted the terminology of several human rights groups in describing Israel's actions as 'genocide.'
The MPs are calling for a meeting with Pride organizers and for both Ga'ava and CIJA to be reinstated in this year's parade.
With files from The Gazette's Jack Wilson
This story was originally published August 1, 2025 at 8:03 PM.