The Canadian National Film Board documentary “Parade: Queer Acts of Love and Resistance” traces struggles encountered by Canada’s queer community from the 1950’s to the present day.
In the 1950’s and 1960’s Canadian queerdom was a shameful and disgusting aberration for the straight community. In 2025 it remains as such but only for a minority of the population. Watch the Pride Parade in Toronto or Montreal and is it but just one decadent and lush party enjoyed as an entertainment event by spectators and by most participants? One wonders how many realize the never-ending struggles, victories, backlashes and deaths that transpired so that happy crowds, savvy politicians, “community inspired police” and corporate marketers vie for a minute in the happy glow of what had been struggled for by Canadian queers for so many years.
A distinguished list of queer writers, drag performers, academics, artists, clergy, politicians, filmmakers, comedians, musicians, lawyers, two spirit activists and even a politician, Svend Robinson, reminisce, often with very personal feelings and memories, about the struggles of the Canadian queer movement
The documentary is largely Toronto and Montreal centric. A common thread is queer social and political victory followed by a backlash. Progression is not straight line but like a stock market chart with violent ups and downs. Queers have been stigmatized, vilified, bashed around, arrested, shamed and with AIDS many left to die isolated, feared and ignored.
How many viewers, both queer and straight remember some of the key events and milestones described in the documentary? Or does the majority just accept queerness as a given fact without any historical context?
Is there a backlash against the queer community yet again with the “leave our kids alone” movement discouraging any part of a school curriculum dealing with queerdom? Has the promotion of drag kid competitions and drag queen television programmes riled up queer community hatred or have many Canadians graduated to a lesser emotion of distrust?
Watch the trailer here https://vimeo.com/1067892887
Directed by Noam Gonick.
“Parade: Queer Acts of Love and Resistance” will be having its world’s premiere on 24/26April and 3May2025.
RKS 2025 CANADIAN Documentary Rating 92/100.
A Bird's Eye View of Fashion, Food, Travel, Culture, Beverage and Curiosity 