Even though the organization of the event claims that over one million people attented yesterday's 15th Annual Gay Pride parade in Rio de Janeiro, official numbers have the number at 250,000 people. The theme of the parade this year was again the fight for the approval of the bill created in 2006 that would criminalize homophobia.
19-year-old student Douglas Igor Marques Luiz was reportedly shot by military officers after the parade yesterday in the Arpoador area. According to this morning news, the young man was hanging out the by rocks in Arpoador with two friends when they were approached violently by men in uniform. The military officers allegedly harassed the three young men and fired a gun, hitting one of them in stomach. Two of the boys managed to run away and were not hurt. The 19-year-old student is in the hospital and will have to undergo surgery. He is in stable condition, and said he will be able to identify the officer who shot at him. The Military issued a statement this morning claiming that no guns were fired by a military officer in the area surrounding the accident.
View pictures of yesterday's parade in Copacabana here.
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Horrible. Similar things happened in Sao Paulo too. A tourist was killed with a knive during the parade.
I find it difficult to celebrate pride when people are still killed for having tastes that are different from those of the majority.
Posted by: Lucius Vorenus | 11/15/2010 at 01:29 PM
It's unfortunate that a shooting ruined what should have been a happy day for thousands of people. I hope they catch the guys that did this.
Posted by: Robotsinmasquerade.blogspot.com | 11/15/2010 at 08:22 PM