Huge Gay Pride parade held in Brazil
[[Image:2004-GayPrideBrazil-45408.jpeg|right|300px|thumb|2004 Gay Pride Parade in Brazil. The number of participants increases every year.<br> Photo:Rose Brasil - ABr]]
{{date|May 30, 2005}}

In what may possibly be the largest [[w:Gay Pride|Gay Pride]] [[w:Pride parade|parade]] in the world, hundreds of thousands of people marched along the streets of [[w:São Paulo|São Paulo]], [[w:Brazil|Brazil]] today in the [[w:Parada do Orgulho GLBT de São Paulo|Parada do Orgulho GLBT de São Paulo]].  Many marchers were demanding the legalization of [[w:same-sex marriage|same-sex marriage]].

[[w:Religion in Brazil|Brazil is the largest Roman Catholic country on Earth]], and the [[w:Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic Church]] has consistently opposed the legalization of same-sex marriage in the country.  The [[w:National Congress of Brazil|National Congress of Brazil]] has debated legalization for 10 years, and such civil marriages are currently only legal in [[w:Rio Grande do Sul|Rio Grande do Sul]].  The original bill was drafted by former mayor of São Paulo, Marta Suplicy.  The proposed legislation, after being amended, is now in the hands of Roberto Jefferson.  Protesters hope to collect a petition of 1.2 million signatures to present to the National Congress in November.

People carrying flags and banners, some dressed in lavish carnival costumes, walked and danced in the ninth annual Gay Pride parade, stretching for 3.5 kilometres along [[w:Avenida Paulista|Avenida Paulista]].  Traffic was diverted throughout most of the city, and drinks and snacks vendors took advantage of the barriers across many streets.  Prominent people joining the parade were the actor Sergio Mamberti, representing the Culture Minister Gilberto Gil, and senator Eduardo Suplicy.

{| border="2" style="border-collapse:collapse; float:right;" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2" rules="cols"
|- style="background:darkgrey; color:white;"
! colspan="99" | Comparative attendance figures
|-
! Event
! Venue
! Attendance
|-
| Gay Pride parade
| San Francisco
| in the 10,000s
|-
| [[w:Christopher Street Day|Christopher Street Day]]
| Berlin
| 200,000 &ndash; 500,000
|-
| [[w:Gay Pride Week|Gay Pride Week]] parade
| Toronto
| 400,000
|}
Organizers stated that 2.5 million people attended, and police stated that there were 1.9 million &mdash; figures which would make the event the largest of its kind in the world &mdash; including 700,000 visitors from other cities and countries.  This was an increase from 2004, when police stated that 1.5 million people attended.  

<div style="clear:right;"></div>
== Sources ==
*{{source|
url=http://www.radiobras.gov.br/materia_i_2004.php?materia=227012&q=1&editoria=|
title=Parada Gay reúne mais de 2 milhões e pára a região central de São Paulo|
author=Marli Moreira|
pub=Radiobras|
date=May 30, 2005}} (Portuguese)
* {{source|
url=http://internacional.radiobras.gov.br/ingles/materia_i_2004.php?materia=227025&q=1&idioma=IG  |
author=Marli Moreira, Andréa Alves |
title=Gay Parade for legalization of homosexual union  |
pub=Radiobras|
date=May 30, 2005}} (partial English translation)
* {{source|
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk./1/hi/world/americas/4592541.stm|
author=|
title=Brazil hosts huge Gay Pride march|
pub=BBC News|
date=May 30, 2005}}
* {{source|
url=http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/americas/05/29/brazil.gaypride.ap/index.html|
author=|
title=Gay pride in Brazil's biggest city|
pub=CNN.com|
date=May 30, 2005}}

{{published}}
{{archive}}

[[Category:South America]]
[[Category:Brazil]]
[[Category:Politics and conflicts]]
[[Category:Human rights]]
[[Category:LGBT]]
[[Category:religion]]
[[Category:Crime and law]]
[[Category:Culture and entertainment]]
[[Category:Christianity]]
[[Category:Roman Catholic Church]]
[[Category:São Paulo]]

[[pt:Provável maior parada gay do mundo ocorre em São Paulo]]
2004 Gay Pride Parade in Brazil. The number of participants increases every year. Photo:Rose Brasil - ABr


In what may possibly be the largest Gay Pride parade in the world, hundreds of thousands of people marched along the streets of São Paulo, Brazil today in the Parada do Orgulho GLBT de São Paulo.  Many marchers were demanding the legalization of same-sex marriage.

Brazil is the largest Roman Catholic country on Earth, and the Roman Catholic Church has consistently opposed the legalization of same-sex marriage in the country.  The National Congress of Brazil has debated legalization for 10 years, and such civil marriages are currently only legal in Rio Grande do Sul.  The original bill was drafted by former mayor of São Paulo, Marta Suplicy.  The proposed legislation, after being amended, is now in the hands of Roberto Jefferson.  Protesters hope to collect a petition of 1.2 million signatures to present to the National Congress in November.

People carrying flags and banners, some dressed in lavish carnival costumes, walked and danced in the ninth annual Gay Pride parade, stretching for 3.5 kilometres along Avenida Paulista.  Traffic was diverted throughout most of the city, and drinks and snacks vendors took advantage of the barriers across many streets.  Prominent people joining the parade were the actor Sergio Mamberti, representing the Culture Minister Gilberto Gil, and senator Eduardo Suplicy.


 Comparative attendance figures

 Event

 Venue

 Attendance

 Gay Pride parade

 San Francisco

 in the 10,000s

 Christopher Street Day

 Berlin

 200,000 – 500,000

 Gay Pride Week parade

 Toronto

 400,000


Organizers stated that 2.5 million people attended, and police stated that there were 1.9 million — figures which would make the event the largest of its kind in the world — including 700,000 visitors from other cities and countries.  This was an increase from 2004, when police stated that 1.5 million people attended.  

Provável maior parada gay do mundo ocorre em São Paulo
South America Brazil Politics and conflicts Human rights LGBT religion Crime and law Culture and entertainment Christianity Roman Catholic Church São Paulo