Better Late Than Never: Rio Gay Pride 2007

There was no sign of rain in Rio this weekend for the 12th annual Gay Pride Parade in the city. An estimated 800,000 to 1.2 million people attended the parade at Avenida Atlântica in Copacabana, which is the longest running one in the country.

Rio's governor Sérgio Cabral made history by opening the parade yesterday: it was the first time in the country's history in which a governor attended a gay pride event.

This year's parade main goal was the approval of the bill 122/2006, which classifies homophobia as a hate crime on federal level.

More pictures of the parade at:
UOL Parada Gay
Terra
MixBrasil

And a video of the parade courtesy of Italo:

Comments

[Marcelo MF]

It just looks like another Carnaval parade to me. The media's main focus is on drag queens, semi-nude transexuals and the most "flamboyant" characters, as if that's all there is to the gay movement. In a macho society like Brazil's this just adds to the preconceived notion that gays are a bunch of limp-wristed fairies that can't wait to put on a dress. Though it does take balls to wear a dress, it's much braver to show up in plain clothes.

[Francisco Riveros Lara]

hahaha yeah right, like if people in the parade had been drees like drag queens.. the video is more than explicit about what kinde celebration they have over there, it isnt a "queers thnig".... cute braziliens by the way :P

[Guto]

I totally agree with Marcelo. I've been in the Avenue among the audience and became shocked with some acts of the people that were in the trucks and around then: some guys showing full frontal nude, thinking they were in some go-go club; others with hands inside somebody else's swim-wear...
Almost all of us have done this, too, but in some private places. Just when we are trying to seize sympathy for causes like gay marriage, equal rights, etc., these attitudes shocked in a negative way the crowd. I think that the organizers should prevent the guys(cutes, indeed) to go a little bit slowly. The Parade can be funny, gay and like Carnival, but not looking like a porn show outdoors.