People wave rainbow flags during the annual Pride parade in Montreal, Sunday, August 18, 2019.
Image Credit: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
October 20, 2019 - 9:00 PM
MONTREAL - Sydney, Australia has beaten out Montreal in the quest to host WorldPride in 2023.
The Australian city captured 60 per cent of the vote, while Montreal received 36 per cent and Austin, TX got three.
Montreal's bid to host the international LGBTQ celebration was spearheaded by the organizers of the city's annual pride festival, which attracts thousands of tourists and brings in some $15 million annually.
Their submission included a four-minute video highlighting the city's diversity that ended with a brief cameo by Quebec superstar Celine Dion wrapped in a pride flag.
The host city is chosen by an international association of pride co-ordinators, and was announced Sunday morning in Athens, Greece.
Toronto became the first North American city to host the event in 2014.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2019