A thousand trans people and allies parade downtown during the March for Trans Liberation.
This year, a coalition of non-profits, student orgs and grasroots community groups organized the Trans March around common demands. In the face of ever-growing transphobia from the political hegemony, be it in the government or opposition parties, organizers decided to call the event the March for trans liberation.
Over forty groups signed the call to protest and more than one thousand people showed up: children and adults, young and less young, citizens and non-citizens, students, community workers and workers from diverse backgrounds, trans folks and allies. We came with our slogans, our flags, our most beautiful outfits, and a fiery determination, flanked by giant puppets, a brass band, a float featuring a masked penguin... The air was filled with festive and contagious energy.
Opening speeches by organizing groups like AGIR, MtF, ASTTEQ and the P!nk Bloc reminded us that trans struggles are political struggles that stand in solidarity with struggles all around the world. Using our decision to freely protest as openly trans people, queer folks and allies, we showed up to demand the liberation of all trans people. Such liberation requires that Bill C-12 be repealed; that Canada removes itself from the Safe Third Country Agreement; that the Quebec ministerial directive formalizing the incarceration of trans women in men's prisons be repealed; it also requires unconditional access to transaffirmative healthcare - including pediatric care, regardless of citizenship status - as well as unconditional and enduring funding for sexual education, and renewing the fight against queerphobic violence in schools.
From the moment we started marching, police tried to prevent protesters from carrying on with the March, even though nothing justified their actions. Throughout the March, the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) and the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) displayed readiness to use violent means to stop a group of queer and trans individuals from freely demonstrating in the Village. Does the police now consider it their mission to protect the LGB from that oh so scary T?
Protesters at the front of the March were pushed, shoved or hit by officers trying to prevent us from accessing the Village. Furthermore, the fact that the SQ was present should worry us in and of itslef. Apparently, the SPVM didn't feel comfortable dealing with demands for trans liberation during Pride month all by itself. For the past few years, the SPVM has been dealing with queer protests with a specific kind of brutality. We remember their explosion of violence during Rad Pride in 2025. Protesters had sheltered away from the protest to flea police batons and chemical weapons. The SPVM then teargased a family party being held nearby.
During Saturday's March, officers shared that the order to stop the protest from entering the Village came directly from Mayor Soraya Martinez. Did the City of Montreal actually adopt an official policy to refuse access to the Village for trans people who make demands for their autonomy, their rights, and better living conditions? Police repression of queer protests is shameful and it will not stop our communities.
Who's village ? Our village !
From Champ-de-Mars, we took René Lévesque street and tried to reach the Village. We didn't give up, and followed De Lorimier toward the North, then Ontario toward the West. After nearly two hours of marching, the protest finally overcame and walked on southward to the Village. We finally reached Sainte-Catherine Street and, how surprising! The Village didn't blow up! Quite the opposite: the protest met with people having a good time on restaurants' front decks, all happy to see us wearing our true colors.
The protest stopped joyfully and defiantly, flanked by officers who didn't really know where to stand anymore, between restaurants, protesters, and people passing by. The closing speech by Gender Creative Kids' Executive Director reminded everyone what we were here to call out: "the whole system is converting our kids to a violent, racist, ableist and heteropatriarchal ideology". We were proud to stand up to fascism and to have marched for everyone who couldn't join us for fear of being identified as queer or trans, or that their child might be identified as queer or trans.
We succeeded in showing ourselves as a politicized crowd, determined to fight for our liberation.
Obviously, there is a lot of work left to do. This protest was a continuation of radical trans struggles from decades past. It was also a promise that we will continue fighting as long as the cistem denies our existence.
Evidemment, beaucoup de travail reste à faire. Cette manifestation est une continuation des efforts radicaux trans portés depuis des décennies. Et c’est aussi une promesse que nous continuerons à lutter tant que le cistème entravera nos existences.