Rio de Janeiro, July 31, 2006 - Sunday started cloudy, breezy and rainy. Oh, oh. I didn’t think people would show up… But, here in Brazil, if there is a party waiting to happen, we’ll be there. The “trio eletricos” (trucks with floaters and huge sound systems combined) lined up on Avenida Atlantica early on, and started getting ready for the parade. There were 20 or so of them, starting at Posto 5 and going all the way to the Forte de Copacabana. By noon, they were blasting music all over Copacabana Beach, and people slowly started showing up. By 3:00 PM the place was packed with colorful people dancing and cheering, despite the rain that was coming down here and there.
The parade started at 4:15 PM, after a few speeches from non-profit organizations engaged in the gay rights movement. With election coming up in Brazil, one of the speakers reminded gay people to find out the views of the candidates on gay rights issues before they vote. Well-reminded, since a law for domestic partnership is waiting since 1995 to pass through Brazilian Congress. Human rights, equal rights, non-violence and peace were other topics of the speeches. But the day was not meant for speeches only, so, the party moved on, slowly, on Avenida Atlantica, and ended around 9:00 PM at Posto 2. Police estimated 500,000 people attended the event. Not bad for a rainy day… You can check out all the fun, umbrellas and all, in these photos.