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Pride march: 250,000 people mobilized in Mexico to protest against violence and machismo

Nail 250,000 people participated this Saturday in the Pride March in Mexico City, the first after two years of suspension due to the coronavirus pandemic. On this occasion, the massive mobilization sought to denounce violence against women of sexual diversity.

A multicolored torrent gathered along about four kilometers in the central Paseo de la Reforma, the capital’s main avenue, where the presence of numerous families with children stood out, as well as some 200 floats.

The slogan of the march, “The streets are ours! For a diversity free of hate, violence and machismo!”, marked the mood of many attendees who agreed that the joy of the celebration does not mean forgetting the violence and discrimination that these groups still suffer.

“It’s not just a celebration. We fight, we resist, we exist and we are resistance,” said Vlexius Vultur, a 25-year-old drag queen with long iridescent hair.

Thousands of people wave a pride flag. Photo EFE

And he added: “These things that we shout and the banners that we raise are not for us, they are for the people who live in the closet, who live in this systematic, macho violence.”

In the demonstration, the number 44 organized in Mexico Citythe mayor Claudia Sheinbaum also participated, who met with leaders of various groups who gave her a list of petitions demanding to maintain and expand her rights.

Through his Twitter, Sheinbaum confirmed that the influx to the march was 250,000 people. The demonstration was not held in 2020 and 2021 due to health restrictions due to the coronavirus.

The huge contingent – which included many participants in the most extravagant costumes, from gladiators to unicorns – advanced towards the Zócalo, the central square of the city, the final point of the event, where a concert was held.

“It gives me a lot of emotion (…) every time I go to the marches, I see complete families, with their children, trying to explain to them in the best way what this is. It feels very nice,” said Héctor Contreras, a businessman from 58 years old.

All the color in the streets of Mexico City during the pride march.  Photo EFE

All the color in the streets of Mexico City during the pride march. Photo EFE

In the middle of the celebration, numerous spontaneous dancers exhibited their daring perreo steps on the asphalt.

Meanwhile, a group of veteran trans women, clad in bright and sequined dresses, shouted: “it looks, it feels, the grandmothers are present.”

So far, city security authorities have not reported any incident, while thousands of participants were still concentrated in the Zócalo.

Thousands of people also mobilized in Chile and Peru

A massive march filled the streets of downtown Santiago with multicolored flags claiming the rights of sexual diversity in its 22nd call, the first in Chile under the government of leftist Gabriel Boric.

The march took place when the country is working on a new constitutional text that explicitly recognizes the rights of sexual diversity and the traditionally excluded minorities, and in favor of which the Homosexual Integration and Liberation Movement, MOVILH, one of the conveners of the march, is in favor of voting for the approval of the new constitutional text in the exit plebiscite scheduled for the next September 4.

Thousands of people in the streets of Santiago for the Pride march.  AP Photo

Thousands of people in the streets of Santiago for the Pride march. AP Photo

With equal marriage recently approved in the country, the demands of the social movements of diversity focus on the repeal of article 365 of the penal code, which “has to do with equalize the age of sexual consent. In Chile, your sexual orientation is looked at to define your age of sexual consent. For example, gay people can consent from the age of 18 versus heterosexual or lesbian people, who consent from the age of 14,” Felipe Castillo, spokesman for MOVILH, explained to the AP news agency, who considers this article discriminatory and “the last openly homophobic law in our criminal code,” he said.

For its part, in Lima, thousands of people with rainbow outfits and banners took to the streets after three years due to the restrictions of the pandemic.

The massive pride march in Lima.  Photo: EFE

The massive pride march in Lima. Photo: EFE

The mobilization was carried out through the streets of the historic center of Lima with the slogan of celebrating its 20 years “being visible and demanding” that the State attend to its “various demands”, but above all respect its citizenship in a country where its “rights are run over all the time.”

With batucada music and songs by artists considered icons of the gay community, such as the Mexican Gloria Trevi and the Italian Raffaella Carrá, hundreds of young people and adults joined the five blocks of protesters who completed the mobilization, dancing, singing and carrying huge flags with the colors of the rainbow.

The march in Lima toured the streets of the historic center of the city.  Photo EFE

The march in Lima toured the streets of the historic center of the city. Photo EFE

With information from agencies

DB

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