RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Thousands of participants gathered on Copacabana Beach Sunday for Rio de Janeiro’s annual Pride parade, many wearing scantily clad clothing and covered in glitter.
Rainbow-colored flags, towels and fans were among the crowds of young people dancing and singing to music blaring from speakers.
The mood was festive, but some spoke about the threat of violence facing LGBTQ+ people in Brazil.
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“As the sister of a transgender woman, I am so scared,” said Helen Karajá, a 32-year-old bisexual artist.
At least 230 LGBTQ+ Brazilians were victims of violent death in 2023, according to the Observatory of LGBTI+ Deaths and Violence in Brazil.
Last year, more transgender people (100) were murdered in Brazil than in any other country, according to Transgender Europe, a global non-profit network that tracks the data.
Carlos da Cunha, a 71-year-old hairdresser, said life was definitely safer for gays than it used to be.
“In the past, you had to go into the ghetto to meet people,” da Cunha said. “Because it couldn’t be anywhere.” “Now we can walk down the street without being attacked, insulted or humiliated.”
One of the themes of this year’s Pride March was sustainability. “Environmental justice is only possible through racial and social justice, gender equality, and sexual diversity.” reads a banner attached to the truck.
Brazil has faced a series of environmental disasters this year, including a record drought in the Amazon rainforest, flooding in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul and wildfires across the country.
“If you can’t respect the environment, how can you respect other people?” said Alexia Soutinho, a 23-year-old student who identifies as pansexual and lives in the Cidade de Deus favela.
