Politics and Pride: Four party leaders attend Montreal Pride parade but not Stephen Harper

Fierté Montréal celebrations culminated in a festive Pride parade in central Montreal on August 16. Four party leaders, who are seeking seats in Canada's federal election, all participated.

Liberal leader Justin Trudeau, NDP leader Tom Mulclair, Green Party leader Elizabeth May, and Bloc Québécois leader Gilles Duceppe all marched along in Montreal's 3-kilometre Pride parade, which drew thousands of attendees and is the largest Pride event in the Francophone world.

This year's parade broke previous records with 3,200 participants and 17 floats.

Conspicuously absent, however, was Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who was campaigning in Ottawa and Amherst, Nova Scotia.

Previously, Mulclair had skipped Vancouver's Pride parade on August 2 in order to launch his party's political campaign in Ottawa. Meanwhile, both May and Trudeau attended the Vancouver parade. Trudeau kicked off his election campaign in Vancouver while May launched her campaign in Sidney, B.C.

At the Toronto Pride parade on June 28, Mulclair pledged that as prime minister he would legislate equal rights for transgender Canadians and formally apologize to military personnel and civil servants fired because of their sexual orientation.

According to the Montreal Gazette, Montreal Pride Week received $260,000 from the Quebec government but only $34,000 in federal funding.