BRAZIL: Hundreds of thousands flock to gay pride parade in Rio

Record ID: 277352

  • Title: BRAZIL: Hundreds of thousands flock to gay pride parade in Rio
  • Date: 22nd October 2007
  • Summary: (L!2) RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL (OCTOBER 14, 2007) (REUTERS) RAINBOW FLAG WAVERING WITH PAO DE ACUCAR MOUNTAIN IN THE BACKGROUND VARIOUS OF COPACABANA BEACH VARIOUS OF PEOPLE ARRIVING FOR GAY PRIDE PARADE VARIOUS OF PEOPLE TAKING PHOTOS WITH PARTICIPANTS VARIOUS OF FREE CONDOMS BEING PLACED IN BASKETS FOR DISTRIBUTION CONDOMS BEING DISTRIBUTED (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) HEAD OF
  • Embargoed: 6th November 2007 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Brazil
  • Country: Brazil
  • Topics: Lifestyle
  • Reuters ID: LVA8UOFOZ0DL0Y62LDISZZM97SIL
  • Story Text: Rainbow colors took over Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana beach on Sunday (October 14), where some 800-thousand people took part in the city's traditional Gay Pride Parade.
    This year's parade took on a more political tone as organizers raised legal issues such as gay marriage and making homophobia a crime.
    Organizers distributed fifty thousand condoms, one hundred thousand lubricants, and pamphlets containing information about AIDS and other STDs (sexually transmitted diseases).
    Head of Pela Vidda AIDS group, Marcio Vilar, said the parade is an excellent time to promote awareness.
    "We are taking advantage of the intention of this parade to reinforce our AIDS prevention program which is a very serious problem of public health. We still have a very worrisome picture, especially with young people," he said.
    To the sound Samba tunes, gay rights activists and supporters marched and danced through Copacabana waving rainbow flags calling for an end to discrimination against homosexuals.
    Marcelo Abreu and his companion said homosexuals still have a series of rights to conquer.
    "There are many rights yet to be conquered. We still have to fight a lot in this country. Equality needs to be conquered," he said, hugging his boyfriend.
    Activist Lineque Nunes said people must have the right to love whomever.
    "It's magical, many people have not yet discovered it is wonderful to love and have the right to love whomever," she said.
    According to the Brazilian NGO Arco-Iris (Rainbow), which organizes the event, nearly three thousand homosexuals have been killed in Brazil in the past ten years.
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