Brazilian Homos March Against Anti-Gay Attacks

Brazilian gay activists took to Sao Paulo’s streets yesterday to protest a recent rise in homophobic violence. In addition to the gay pride murder, there have been a series of anti-gay attacks in the Jardins neighborhood, including the fatal stabbing of a 19-year old. That particular incident happened outside a popular gay hangout.

While 3.5 million people showed up at Brazil’s record breaking gay pride, only a few hundred marched in yesterday’s protest – a discrepancy with which Made in Brazil takes issue:

Why is that that 3.5 million come to Avenida Paulista to celebrate and party during Gay Pride weekend, but only 100 of them show up when it is time to get political and demand a new hate crimes legislation? There is a need for a stronger gay political movement or ideology in this country. It is great to be able to gather people to party, but has anyone stopped to think what is it that we are actually celebrating?

Obviously we’re celebrating sweaty men and booze, duh! Like, what, you want us to celebrate freedom from anti-gay attackers? That’s so lame.

Meanwhile, Club Whirled, who shot the above video, had this to say about marching:

There were a lot of positive things about this march. I counted about 75 people at the starting point, and the crowd grew to over 200 during the march. It was organized by the Pride organization, and was ably led and remained peaceful and defiant throughout. They handed out literature with instructions on how to file a police report if you are attacked (something, apparently, gays are not doing when they’re bashed) and with resources on who to turn to in case of anti-gay discrimination. The leaders also called for passage of hate crimes legislation.

Too bad only a few hundred people showed up. The lazy homos won’t know what to do if they get attacked.

Here’s some more video, in case you care…