- Title: Rio hosts gay pride parade along Copacabana
- Date: 12th December 2016
- Summary: VARIOUS OF PARADEGOERS NEXT TO PRIDE FLAGS
- Embargoed: 27th December 2016 00:51
- Keywords: gay LGBT Copacabana Leblon Rio de Janeiro
- Location: RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL
- City: RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL
- Country: Brazil
- Reuters ID: LVA0025CFW509
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Tens of thousands took part in Rio de Janeiro's 21st gay pride march Sunday (December 11) along the famous Copacabana Beach.
The full rainbow of Brazil's gay life was on display, from sequined drag queens to rainbow-coloured angels.
"It is a great coming together, heterosexuals, gays, lesbian and all the mixes, all fighting for the same thing, which is equal rights," said Brazilian drag queen, Elo Pinheiro said.
The country recognized same-sex marriage in 2013 and hosts some of the world's largest gay pride festivals. This year's theme was "I am my gender identity" as parade-goers sought to boost visibility for the trans community in the form of allowing citizens to change their gender identity on identification documents and minimise red tape for getting sex reassignment surrey.
Brazil does have one of the world's highest rates of LGBT hate crimes, despite a reputation for sexual tolerance. Indeed, fighting broke out along the Copacabana Sunday.
"We are in this standing up for the right to marry, to walk freely with your partner without being bothered, pointed at, because for me, discrimination from people is a very important issue," pride participant, Fabiano Motta said.
Sao Paulo also hosts a very large gay pride parade every year. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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