Sponsorship FAQ

LGBTQ individuals have historically found it difficult to participate in the “straight” square dance world and have often been made to feel like they didn’t belong there.

While they are finding more and more acceptance in modern times, it was not the case back in the early ’80s when the IAGSDC was formed to help promote the sport and to give LGBTQ dancers a place where they could be themselves and dance with their peers without fear of persecution or prejudice.

The result is a quasi parallel world of square dancing that has evolved alongside the existing organizations but that includes a great deal of cooperation between the straight and gay clubs.

LGBTQ square dancers tend to be a bit younger (30 – 60 year old) and more affluent than their straight counterparts and they dance with quite a bit more energy and flair, making them the envy of many when they attend straight events.

The International Association of Gay Square Dance Clubs is the administrative body that encompasses all LGBTQ+ square dance clubs in the world. It has members from Canada, the US, Europe and Asia and currently supports 55 clubs. 

The IAGSDC holds a convention every year where club delegates can participate in workshops and meetings to discuss aspects of square dancing but the biggest reason for convention is for LGBTQ square dancers (and allies) to get together to dance to some amazing internationally renowned callers and to socialize with their peers.

According the the 2018 annual general meeting minutes, total registered dancers in the entire association was 1,936. All previous years’ meeting minutes are also of public record. The reason the number of registered dancers was not available after 2018 is because registration fees were waived during those years due to COVID.

Yearly attendance at convention has ranged from almost 800 to over 1,100 dancers. 

Note: The 2020 convention, which was to be held in Denver, was moved online due to COVID-19 and did not require registration so we have no numbers for it but the various Zoom sessions were heavily attended. Ditto for the 2021 convention which was meant to happen in Houston.

While Canada has been host to convention several times (twice in Toronto and three times in Vancouver, once in Ottawa), Montréal has never hosted an IAGSDC convention so we have reason to believe that attendance at Montréal Mix 2026 will be high due to the novelty of the host city.

A picture is worth a thousand words and this is true about square dancing. It’s hard to understand gay square dancing unless you’ve seen it.

The 2019 IAGSDC convention took place in Philadelphia and CBS Philly reported on it:

A partnership with Montréal Mix 2026 is an opportunity to reach a captive market of LGBTQ+ individuals who may be visiting Montréal for the first time and who are wanting to fully experience what this city has to offer.

They can be reached via the convention program guide which is included in every attendee welcome package and which dancers use throughout the day to consult schedules of dances and events. Advertisement opportunities are available from full page to business card-sized ads

Your products and services can also be showcased and sold in person at our vendor fair via 8’x8′ booths that are located in high traffic areas of the convention centre.

We invite you to explore all the possibilities on our sponsors page to find the level of collaboration that is perfect for your organization.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if there is anything we can do to assist you.