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| Sao Paulo holds Gay Pride parade | Sao Paulo holds Gay Pride parade |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Hundreds of thousands of gay, lesbian and transvestite people have taken part in a Gay Pride parade in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo. | |
| Organisers said the number of people taking part exceeded last year's record of 2.5 million marchers. | Organisers said the number of people taking part exceeded last year's record of 2.5 million marchers. |
| The parade is said to be the largest of its kind in the world. | The parade is said to be the largest of its kind in the world. |
| Costumes, floats and music are dominating, but activists say they also have a serious message, calling for a world without discrimination. | Costumes, floats and music are dominating, but activists say they also have a serious message, calling for a world without discrimination. |
| "We want to address machismo, racism and homophobia [...] which still exists in Brazil," said the president of the parade, Nelson Matias Pereira. | "We want to address machismo, racism and homophobia [...] which still exists in Brazil," said the president of the parade, Nelson Matias Pereira. |
| Changing attitudes | Changing attitudes |
| According to activists, between 1980 and 2006 some 2,680 gay people were murdered in Brazil, the majority thought to have been killed because of their sexuality. | According to activists, between 1980 and 2006 some 2,680 gay people were murdered in Brazil, the majority thought to have been killed because of their sexuality. |
| The parade received official backing for the first time and was attended by Brazil's ministers for tourism and sport as well as local officials. | The parade received official backing for the first time and was attended by Brazil's ministers for tourism and sport as well as local officials. |
| The city's first parade, staged in 1997, attracted just 2,000 people. | The city's first parade, staged in 1997, attracted just 2,000 people. |
| Gay Pride is taking place just days after around one million Evangelical Christians held their annual demonstration in Sao Paulo, during which one minister addressing the crowd linked homosexuality with Satanism. | Gay Pride is taking place just days after around one million Evangelical Christians held their annual demonstration in Sao Paulo, during which one minister addressing the crowd linked homosexuality with Satanism. |
| With more than 70 Gay Pride parades taking place around the country, there are some signs of changing attitudes, our correspondent says, with a few states publicly expressing opposition to discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation. | With more than 70 Gay Pride parades taking place around the country, there are some signs of changing attitudes, our correspondent says, with a few states publicly expressing opposition to discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation. |
| However, civil unions between same sex couples are only recognised in one state in the south of Brazil and change on this issue remains a key demand of gay rights activists. | However, civil unions between same sex couples are only recognised in one state in the south of Brazil and change on this issue remains a key demand of gay rights activists. |