Hundreds of thousands of revelers gathered on Sunday to celebrate LGBT pride in São Paulo, Brazil. One of the largest’s pride gatherings in the world, this year’s theme for São Paulo LGBT Pride (Parada do Orgulho LGBT de São Paulo) was, “Whatever our beliefs, no religion is law, all for a secular state!”
The parade’s demands on secularism in Brazil are due to conservative religious lobbyists that threaten LGBT rights from advancing. “Our main enemies today are religious fundamentalists who seek to withdraw from our already acquired rights,” says Claudia Santos Garcia, director of the association who organizes the parade.
She continues: “In the National Congress, for example, the debate over the criminalization of LGBTFobia is fraught with attacks by congressional and conservative parliamentarians, many of whom use their parliamentary immunities to spread hatred to a portion of the population. Their arguments? Some cite their visions of faith, as if they were in their pulpits and not in an institution that should guarantee and be guided by the laity, as recommended in the Federal Constitution of 88.”
“Our democracy is threatened by the fact that representatives of the three powers are motivated only by religious values, without concern for citizenship, plurality and human rights,” deplores the association of the Parade of the Gay pride of Sao Paulo (APOGLBT) in a statement.
The evangelical parliamentary group in parliament has 197 out of 513 deputies, 23 of them in the Human Rights Commission.
This year’s parade of LGBT Pride of São Paulo counted on two strong sponsors: Skol and Uber .
“We support the LGBT Pride Parade because we stand by the flag of respect above all else. Since the last stop we have consolidated ourselves on this path. Supporting the LGBT Parade is to foster culture by focusing on diversity and promoting, above all, respect for the other. We are very proud to be a part again,” said Maria Fernanda Albuquerque, Skol’s Marketing Director.
“Uber believes that everyone should have the right to be authentic in their individuality, sexual orientation and gender identity, and more than that, feel safe and respected. With that in mind, Uber is the official sponsor of the Sao Paulo LGBT Pride Parade in 2017,” said Ana Pellegrini, Legal Director and Uber Diversity Leader for Brazil.
In 2006, it was considered the biggest pride parade in the world by the Guinness Book of World Records.
Here are 40 fabulous pics from São Paulo LGBT Pride:
