Latin America celebrates gay pride parade to reassert LGBTQ+ rights

Clad in colours and surrounded by expressions of pride and support is how the Colombian LGBTQ+ community celebrated through the streets of Bogota.

Community members and supporters gathered at Bogota’s National Park and paraded with music, banners, and costumes towards Bolivar Square.

Last year's pride picked up the festive mood after the pandemic induced restrictions, and this year’s parade echoed the colourful sentiment.

Same-sex marriage was made legal in Colombia in 2016, and social security and property rights have been extended to same-sex partners.

Members of the LGBTQ+ community in Venezuela demanded constitutional protection of their rights at Caracas' gay pride parade.

Thousands of people marched in the main streets of the city, dancing to music and waving rainbow flags.

Venezuela still bars same-sex marriage and child adoption by same-sex couples, among other laws that some countries in the region, such as Colombia and Brazil allow.

The right to non-discrimination based on sexual orientation is only included in the country's labor, banking, and housing laws.

According to activists, Venezuela is behind some other countries in the region due to the influence of the military and evangelical churches, two traditionally conservative sectors.

President Nicolas Maduro said in October 2020 that he would leave it to the pro-government parliament to discuss same-sex marriage. So far, no bill on the issue is on the legislative agenda.

Hundreds of revellers flooded Brasilia's streets to celebrate the 2022 gay pride parade and reassert the rights of the LGBT+ community in Brazil.

The Brazilian LGBTQ+ community took to the streets after two years of holding virtual events due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The rally started with a protest outside Brazilian Congress and was marked by loud music, rainbow flags, and dancing people.

"Gay Pride" is both a celebration and a demand for visibility and equality against a backdrop of lingering prejudice, discrimination and fear among many gay men and women about coming out.

This year's Pride saw warnings for people with monkeypox symptoms to stay away, after public health officials said many cases in the UK were reported among gay and bisexual men.

LGBTQ+ campaign group Stonewall said everyone had a part to play to stop the spread of monkeypox, which is passed through close contact regardless of sexual orientation.