At MINI, we’re all about BIG LOVE. It’s a mindset that’s as open as the road ahead and believes in inviting everyone along for the ride. Last year, as part of our dedication to BIG LOVE and in support of the LGBTQ+ community, we launched our first ever Guide to Pride – and now we’re back for round two!
In 2022, we partnered with Mike Rizzi and Chris Zapata, two influencers who shared their favourite Toronto-based LGBTQ-run shops, bars, cafes, and restaurants with us. This year, we’re off to Montreal with trans influencer Khate Lessard! Read on to discover her top LGBTQ-operated businesses and be sure to drop by if you’re in the Montreal area.
The off-beat Oui Mais Non Café prides itself on its welcoming atmosphere, and it certainly doesn’t disappoint. Wooden décor, retro furniture, shelves of books, and quirky pictures create a relaxed and homey vibe, a vibe which is rounded off by the friendly staff and delicious home cooked food. Caring for the environment is a key concern at Oui Mais Non, which focuses on vegetarian dishes, local produce, and reusable take-out containers.
OUI MAIS NON CAFÉLGBTQ+ history has often been left out of history books and museums. That’s what Jacques Prince and Ross Higgins sought to change when they opened the Archives gaies du Québec in 1983. AGQ is dedicated to documenting and preserving Quebec’s LGBTQ2S+ history through its extensive collection of magazines, newspapers, press clippings, books, videos, posters, photos, and much more.
ARCHIVES GAIES DU QUÉBECHead to Pastel Rita in Montreal’s Mile End neighbourhood and you’ll feel like you’ve stumbled into a Wes Anderson movie with its sumptuous design of pastels, golds, and forest green. Part café, part natural wine bar, and part tattoo parlour, Pastel Rita is 100% the place to be seen for local creatives, students, and coffee lovers alike.
PASTEL RITANo tour of Montreal’s LGBT+ hotspots would be complete without a visit to Cabaret Mado. Holding raucous events, seven nights a week, this iconic spot is run by notorious local drag queen Mado Lamotte. A Montreal institution, Cabaret Mado is found in the city’s lively Gay Village and has played host to many of Canada’s most prominent drag queens over the years.
CABARET MADO
Know a great local 2SLGBTQI-owned/operated/positive business?
We want to hear about it! Tell us about them below and we’ll feature them as part of our MINI Guide to Pride.
Who should we add to our map?
We can’t wait to check out your recco and maybe even put it on our map. In the meantime, be sure to stay up to speed on our Pride Month celebrations by following us on Instagram.
FOLLOW THE FUNKhate Lessard is a trans content creator and public speaker based in Montreal, who uses her social channels to share her life, love for her community, and the city she calls home. Khate travels all over Quebec to share her experiences with high school students, offering words of support and advice to young people who are questioning their sexuality or gender.
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