MONTREAL — Downtown Montreal was awash with rainbow flags on Sunday as thousands of LGBTQ+ community members and their supporters took to the streets for the annual Pride parade.

Cheering crowds lined the streets as activists, politicians and brightly costumed performers joined a march that stretched over more than two kilometres.

Neither the summer heat nor the controversies that had threatened to mar the event appeared to deter the participants, who spoke of the importance of Pride events in both celebrating the LGBTQ+ community and reaffirming its rights.

Gregg Blachford, a member of LGBTQ+ seniors group Gay and Grey, says the event for him is all about good energy and fun for people of different ages.

"We get together for Pride once a year to celebrate with the whole crowd, to come

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