Hundreds of thousands of gay rights supporters - many wearing elaborate colorful costumes - marched through the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo Sunday in one of the world's biggest gay pride parades.
Some of the outfits celebrated Brazil's hosting of soccer's World Cup next month while other participants wore large wigs and danced on grand floats.
But there was a tone of seriousness under all the joy. The organizers are demanding Brazil pass laws making homophobia a crime, including discrimination against lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender people. They say such a law would also cut down on violence against homosexuals.
While Brazil's supreme court legalized gay marriage in 2011, conservative lawmakers and religious leaders opposed federal legislation granting more rights to homosexuals.
Some of the outfits celebrated Brazil's hosting of soccer's World Cup next month while other participants wore large wigs and danced on grand floats.
But there was a tone of seriousness under all the joy. The organizers are demanding Brazil pass laws making homophobia a crime, including discrimination against lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender people. They say such a law would also cut down on violence against homosexuals.
While Brazil's supreme court legalized gay marriage in 2011, conservative lawmakers and religious leaders opposed federal legislation granting more rights to homosexuals.
