MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Millions turn out in Sao Paulo in support of Gay Pride Parade

“Never again we will keep quiet about it! Union and understanding in the fight against homophobia!” was this year’s slogan

Millions gathered on Sunday in Sao Paulo, Brazil to take part in one of the largest parades in the world. According to the organizers, 3.5 million people attended the parade and the festivities that followed.

Participants of the parade did not stop even when the heavy rain hit the city. The goal of the event was to make a public statement about LGBT lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. “Never again we will keep quiet about it! Union and understanding in the fight against homophobia!” - That was the slogan of the Parada del Orgullo Gay de Sao Paulo in 2013.

The early morning downpour forced participants of the parade to open multi-coloured umbrellas. Organizers brought 17 huge platforms to serve as stages for musical acts and dance performances. About 2000 police officers were on duty at the event.

The mayor of Sao Paulo Fernando Habbad said that the parade is the answer to the demands of society: that does not want to violate the civil rights of sex minorities.

“We cannot allow those who have ever suffered from intolerance, in turn, took the lead in the same misunderstanding,” - said Habbad.

In mid-May, the Brazilian National Council of Justice ordered the state agencies that register the marriage not to deny a same benefit to same-sex couples wanting to officially seal their relationship.

Thus, marriages between people of the same sex are de facto legalized in Brazil, despite the formal absence of federal law on same-sex marriages.