50 thousand people painted Lisbon in the colors of the rainbow

Last Saturday, the 29th, the streets of Lisbon were stained with colour and joy by the 50,000 people who participated in what was the 20th LGBTI+ Pride March. The great walk for LGBT rights began at the Principe Real and came down full of music and pride to the Ribeira das Naus where it merged with the Festa da Diversidade.

20 years of March, 45 of freedom and 50 years from Stonewall. Born in 2000, the March was an achievement among others: the decriminalization of homosexuality in 1982; the first camp at 97; the same-sex marriage between two persons of the same sex in 2001; the various anti-discrimination laws between 2003 and 2007; the approval of civil marriage in 2010; adoption and sponsorship in 2015; Medically Assisted Procreation (WFP) in 2017 and self-determination of gender identity, gender expression and protection of sexual characteristics in 2018.

The march, which this year has as a motto “Ideology of what? Our gender is human rights, “was spearheaded by a” historic “bloc with two hundred figures from around the country who have been part of the LGBT rights struggle over the past few decades.

Several associations walked demanding rights and claiming equality as the incredible AMPLOS Mothers to march for their sons and daughters, the important message of the GAT I = I, the proud collective We are Blergh proud of his “bin”, the urgency to regulate the sexual work, the APAV to remember that in case of physical or psychological violence there is no other way than denounce.

The march continued accompanied by music and people waving posters with messages desiring a better world and so many personal and collective demands. Here and there public figures, actors, singers, everyday people marched and danced out of an open closet twenty years ago.

Arriving at Ribeira das Naus was read the manifesto of claims of the entities that composed the organizing committee of the march read by Nóe João and Alice Azevedo. Moderated by artist and activist Paula Lovely, activists would reach the microphone and echo their slogans through the gardens by the Tagus. Among the most acclaimed speeches is the young Carmo from the Panteras Rosa group, the students’ representative from the LGBTI nucleus of Instituto Superior Técnico, QueerIST, and from the emotional and activist warrior of Queer Tropical group, who fight for respect for the life of the Brazilian LGBTIQ population. Strong suits and boos to Bolsonaro and various tributes to Marielle Franco, and of course also Marsha P. Johnson, one of the forerunners of this movement born 50 years ago with the Stonewall Revolt, was recalled several times.

“We march because we exist. We march because our gender is Human Rights”
– Manifest of the 20th March of LGBTI+ Pride in Lisbon

Check out the photo gallery from 20th LGBTI+ Pride March.