(Sao Paulo) Several hundred thousand people marched on Sunday during Sao Paulo’s traditional LGBTQI+ pride march under the slogan “Vote with pride, for a policy that represents us”, in reference to the October presidential election. .
Posted at 9:08 p.m.
After two years of virtual release due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 26e edition of the march returned to travel through the economic capital of Brazil with nineteen floats during a day full of color, music and carrying messages of “fight against all forms of discrimination” and “respect for diversity” .
Slogans referred to the October electoral battle between far-right President Jair Bolsonaro and left-wing ex-head of state Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, leading in the polls.
The parade “shows society that we are there, that there are enough of us to make a difference in politics and in society itself,” Gleydson Santos, a 26-year-old carer, told AFP.
“The theme of this year’s parade was worth it,” said Bráulio da Silva, a 31-year-old teacher. “You can’t be silent, you can’t be submissive anymore. It’s time to get moving,” he added.
The massive march started in the morning on Paulista Avenue, the city’s main artery, then headed towards Roosevelt Square.
However, attendance did not reach the three million people expected by the organizers.
One of the main attractions of the day was Brazilian singer and drag queen Pabllo Vittar, in yellow and white boots who rocked the crowd with his songs.
During the tour, criticism against Jair Bolsonaro was not lacking. The president is widely implicated for several messages deemed homophobic, racist and sexist.
In Brazil, homophobia has been a crime since 2019, but homosexuals and transgender people are still attacked daily.
In 2021, 140 trans people were murdered in the country, according to the National Association of Transvestites and Transsexuals of Brazil.