Alternative Pride events cite increasing popularity in Ottawa

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeLifeNewsLocal News Alternative Pride events cite increasing popularity in Ottawa Events such as Dyke March and Trans March are drawing interest from people looking for grassroots spaces. Author of the article: By Michael McBean Published Aug 27, 2026 Last updated 1 hour ago 5 minute read Join the conversation Organizers say Ottawa Dyke March is volunteer-run and seeks support and funding primarily from within the community. PHOTO BY SPENCER COLBY /Postmedia Article content For more than two decades, people have gathered downtown for a Pride event with no floats, no large corporate sponsors and no requirement to sign up before joining the event. Article content Instead, Ottawa Dyke March is built around a rally, political speeches and people taking to the streets together, followed by a community gathering. Article content Article content For organizer Alana Nugent, that simplicity is part of the point. Article content Article content “You get to practise being in a march and taking up space in a way that we don’t normally always get to do in Ottawa,” she said. Article content The Evening Citizen The Ottawa Citizen’s best journalism, delivered directly to your inbox by 7 p.m. on weekdays. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Article content As Ottawa celebrates Pride, events such as Dyke March and Ottawa Trans March are drawing growing interest from people looking for grassroots spaces alongside Ottawa’s mainstream celebrations. Article content Organizers say that does not necessarily amount to a rejection of Capital Pride. Rather, they say, it reflects an appetite for events more explicitly rooted in protest and activism. Article content Nugent says alternative Pride events have always existed, but she has noticed increasing interest in them. Article content “I think more people are coming together recognizing that they want something different,” she said, adding that people were looking for community and the feeling that they had a role in creating the event themselves. Article content Ottawa Dyke March is volunteer-run and seeks support and funding primarily from within the community. Anyone can show up and march without registering in advance. Article content Nugent says Ottawa Dyke March obtains permits for…