Rio Gay Pride Parade calls for gender identity law

Thousands of protesters marched on Copacabana Beach at Rio's 21st LGBT Pride Parade on Sunday afternoon (Dec. 11), calling for respect for gender diversity. There are no official reports as to the number of participants.

Under the slogan “I Am My Gender Identity,” the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender movement stands up for the passage of a gender identity bill requiring state-funded and private healthcare services to provide coverage of hormone therapy and and sex reassignment surgery to all people aged 18 and older.

Almir França heads an activist group called Grupo Arco-Íris. He thinks there has been little change over the 21 years Rio has staged gay parades. “Even with so much activism going on, we now feel that this debate should go beyond the legal front to truly acknowledging who these individuals are,” he said.

In his view, gender “identities based on models of being a man or a woman” must be left behind. “When we think about transphobia, perhaps we should be able to map and identify something that goes a long way beyond homophobia. There's so much more to this than the gender that's printed on your ID card,” he said.

The group, which has brought together people from different parts of the country, began with the aim of standing up for equal rights, against intolerance, prejudice, and hatred, giving a voice to those who have lived as social outcasts for years.

According to Arco-Íris Deputy Marcelle Esteves, the movement has seen big change over these two decades. “The LGBT Parade has continued to be a political event, but it's also become a cultural movement with a different character and a more open attitude. People are no longer scared, which means there's been huge aesthetic progress.”

Rainbow party

With eight floats, activist groups, and service tents, Rio's 2016 LGBT Parade has drawn people across a range of styles and trends. The diverse costumes in a range of themes resonated with the joy and diverse colouring of the movement's giant flag.

This year, an activist group called Mães pela Diversidade (Mothers for Diversity) were on the second float along with transgender men and women for their children's right to live in a world of respect, love, and equality.

With a coffin and wreaths of flowers, the movement staged a mock collective funeral in a reference to the 300 people who according to organisers' statistics had been victims of homophobia this year until Sunday throughout Brazil.

Educational leaflets, health advice, and about 400,000 condoms were distributed to participants during the parade.

Translated by Mayra Borges