Record turnout at gay parade
2005-05-30 12:41
Sao Paulo - The main avenues of Brazil's financial capital were jammed with dancers and revellers on Sunday during the ninth annual Gay Pride parade, the biggest of its kind in the world.
Organisers said some two million people marched and danced to demand the legalisation of civil unions among homosexuals. Police put the number at 1.8 million.
"There have never been so many people at the Gay Pride parade," said Pedro Almeida, a spokesperson for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender group that organised the parade.
"This shows true support for our cause, that of civil unions of people of the same sex," he said. "It is not only homosexuals and lesbians that participate in the parade, also sympathisers."
According to Globo News network, the event attracted some 700 000 tourists, Sao Paulo's biggest tourist event of the year.
The first such parade in Sao Paulo in 1997 drew only 2 000 people. Last year some 1.5 million people marched.
This year's massive turnout made the event the largest gay pride parade in the world, twice the size of the gay pride parade in San Francisco, California.
Thousands of gay couples, as well as heterosexual couples, danced down the main streets of Sao Paulo carrying giant rainbow flags. The crowds danced alongside floats blasting music from giant loudspeakers.
A tough battle to overcome prejudice
"We have the same commitments, we want the same rights," read one large colourful banner.
"It is not easy in our daily lives," said a drag queen named Paola, wearing a bright red wig and a futuristic silver outfit. "We have to end the prejudices society has against us."
Near Paola marched a transvestite named Capitaine Talissa, disguised as a police officer in a dominatrix-style erotic leather police outfit — black from head to feet, with high boots on tall heels clutching a pink erotic Barbie doll.
"Prejudices are archaic, they must end," said pregnant marcher Maria. She said she sympathised with the gay movement because, "I have friends that are gay."
Brazil however is also the world leader in murders of homosexuals, Almeida said. "A homosexual is murdered here every two days — just for being homosexual," he said.
Brazilian gays want to pressure the government of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to send to Congress a law legalising gay civil unions.
Lula's Workers Party submitted civil union legislation 10 years ago, but it has not been taken up by legislators.
A large part of Brazil's homosexual community voted for Lula in the 2002 elections because they expected him to push the legislation — but nothing has happened, Almeida said.