Things were popping in São Paulo this weekend as scads of supporters took to the streets for the Brazilian city's gay pride parade.
While official reports put attendance at 3.5 million, gay activists claim that about 5 million people showed up for the event, which is cosponsored by Petrobras, an oil company. Good to know petroleum's got a big spot at this homo happening.
More pics and video here!
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i wish i was there it sounds like a blast
http://www.queersunited.blogspot.com
That looks simply fantastic!
It looks amazing!
http://www.ilovezeren.com
The Sao Paulo event apparently netted more than $115 million and created nearly 14,000 direct and indirect jobs. Meanwhile, the "formerly Fascist" new Mayor of Rome promises to cut off all funding for Rome's pride event. Yes, he's against discrimination, he says, but doesn't agree with rights for unmarried couples, which are promoted during the parade. (No, it's not just marriage he's against; he's against any rights for unmarried couples.) Besides, the trannies in the parade promote prostitution, he says. (????)
The climate of hate is markedly on the upswing in Italy, and the new government (not to mention the Church) has definitely played a role in this. Although the new minister of Equal Opportunity incredibly announced that discrimination against homosexuals no longer exists (shades of Ahmadinejad), there are dozens of recent examples that deny her fantastic claim. Although most instances of homophobic violence are committed by right-wing stragers, sometimes the violence is closer to home. Yesterday in Palermo, a father stabbed his son who just came out of the closet because of the shame of having a faggot in the family. This is not just an isolated case: A teenage lesbian was recently stabbed by her mother in Pesaro.
Since the right-wing government of Italy took over last month, there has been a dramatic increase in violence and hate crimes. A few days ago, a gay DJ was violently beaten by right-wing thugs solely because of his gay-themed radio program – the same day roving thugs attacked and ransacked a diverse neighborhood where many Indian immigrants live. Yesterday, right-wing thugs (not students) attacked and brutally beat left-leaning students at a Rome university.
Some Italian LGBT have decided their best recourse is to act "normal" – wear suits and ties, cover up any butch or effeminate traits and mannerisms, and let those that can't pass or pretend to be straight fend for themselves. This sort of reminds me of Jews in Nazi Germany thinking they'd be safe as long as they seemed more German than the Germans.
I hate to leave our Italian brothers and sisters in the lurch, but the only thing these politicians understand is money. If you're thinking of a trip to Italy, I urge you to reconsider. There are plenty of alternatives to Rome where your tourist dollars will be welcomed. (Think Madrid and Barcelona, where you can legally marry; Paris; London; Berlin, which just opened a gay holocaut museum; etc.)
I admit in my anger, I may have exaggerated the current situation a bit. But I'm outraged to see a so-called western democracy retrogress toward a climate of intolerance more usually associated with countries like Jamaica, Poland, or Serbia.
Looks lovely! Wish I coulda been there :D