Thousands gather on Copacabana Beach for Rio de Janeiro Pride

On Sunday, thousands gathered at Copacabana beach for Rio de Janeiro’s annual pride parade, with many attendees adorned in glitter.

The crowd, primarily composed of young people, showcased an array of rainbow-coloured flags, towels, and fans, dancing and singing to music blasting from speakers, ‘Associated Press’ reports.

Despite the festive mood, some participants highlighted the violence faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in Brazil.

“As the sister of a trans woman, I’m scared to death,” expressed Helen Karajá, a 32-year-old bisexual artist.

According to the Observatory of LGBTI+ deaths and violence in Brazil, at least 230 LGBTQ+ Brazilians suffered violent deaths in 2023.

Additionally, more trans individuals—100—were killed in Brazil last year than in any other nation, based on data from Transgender Europe, a network of global non-profits monitoring such statistics.

Life for gay people is undeniably safer now than before, noted Carlos da Cunha, a 71-year-old hairdresser.

“In the past, people had to go to ghettos to meet people, because you couldn’t just be anywhere,” da Cunha observed. “Now, we can walk down the street without being attacked, without being insulted or humiliated.”

Sustainability was a key theme of this year’s pride march. One banner on a truck read, “Environmental justice will only be possible with racial and social justice, gender equality and sexual diversity.”

This year, Brazil has endured several environmental crises, including record droughts in the Amazon rainforest, floods in the southern Rio Grande do Sul state, and widespread wildfires.

“If we can’t respect the environment, how can we respect others?” questioned Alexia Soutinho, a 23-year-old student identifying as pansexual, residing in the Cidade de Deus favela.