Tens of thousands of people took part
in Rio de Janeiro's 22nd annual LGBT Pride parade at
Copacabana beach on Sunday.
As music blasted from sound trucks,
revelers danced and held up rainbow flags on the beach's promenade.
An estimated 800,000 people joined the festivities, organizer Grupo
Arco-Iris said.
Organizers were forced to reschedule
the annual festival after the city pulled its funding.
According to the AP, Rio de Janeiro
Mayor Marcelo Crivella offered no city funding this year. Organizers
pushed back the event as they scrambled to secure funding from
private sector businesses and organizations. Performers also agreed
to work the event for free.
Last year, the city funded half of the
festival's estimated $200,000 tab. City Hall cited financial
difficulties as reason for withdrawing its support, but critics claim
influential conservatives pressured the city to turn its back on the
parade for the first time.
Despite its liberal reputation, rates
of violence against gay and transgender people are high in Brazil.
(Related: Britney
Spears, Boy George, Celine Dion, Demi Lovato appear in Yann's LGBT
project “Igual.”)