The Rio de Janeiro LGBT Pride Parade (Nov.1, 2009), one of the largest LGBT events in Brazil, is an annual event which had its first edition in 1995. An estimated 1,5 million attended the 2009 LGBT pride parade in Copacabana.
In Brazil, Rio's LGBT Parade is second in size only to the Sao Paulo LGBT Pride Parade.
The event is promoted by Rio-based Grupo Arco-Íris de Conscientização Homossexual, or the Rainbow Group for Homosexual Awareness, a non-governmental organization whose mission is to join people committed to advancing awareness of diversity and to help build a world without sexual prejudice and discrimination.
In the Rio de Janeiro LBGT Pride Parade, trios elétricos, or sound-wired trucks, run slowly along Copacabana beach while people party on and around them. The parade culminates with a show.
The 14th Rio de Janeiro LGBT Pride Parade will take place in Copacabana, on Nov. 1, 2009 at 1 p.m.
According to Grupo Arco-Íris, the parade was postponed to November as a preventive measure in view of the current spread of H1N1 in Rio de Janeiro. The organization is timing the event with a respite period anticipated by health officials.
The starting point will be Posto 6, the area closest to the Copacabana Fort, Arpoador and Ipanema Beach.
This year's theme is "Eu tenho direito de viver e amar livremente" ("I have the right to live and love freely").
The parade will be preceded by a series of events in October:
- Opening Show - Teatro Carlos Gomes - Oct.5 at 7 p.m.
- 14 Years of LGBT Parade Exhibit - Espaço Cultural Sérgio Porto - Oct.5-Nov.5
- Film Exhibits: Diversity Metaphors - Castelinho do Flamengo and other venues - Oct. 9-10, 2 p.m.-10 p.m.
- Pride Ideal Nacional with DJ Edson Pride and singer Joe Welsh - Cine Ideal - Oct.9 at 11:30 p.m.
- Cine Ideal with Pride, with DJs Dupla Altar - Cine Ideal - Oct.11 at 11:30 p.m.
- Parade Volunteers Meetings - Sala Cecília Meireles - Oct. 14, 21 and 28 at 7 p.m.
- Self-Portrait Week - Rio's Transsexual Culture in Shows - Teatro Gláucio Gil - Oct.22-25 at 7 p.m.
- Debates and Seminars - Castelinho do Flamengo and other venues - Oct.26-30, 3 p.m.-10 p.m.
- Voices of Diversity Show with LGBT singers - Sala Baden Powell - Oct. 27-28 at 7 p.m.
- LGBT Parade Party (with Lesbian Singer Awards and the lauching of Quinta Lés, or Lesbian Thursdays) - Cine Ideal - Oct.29 at 7 p.m.
- 8th Arco-Íris Human Rights Awards - Teatro João Caetano - Oct.30 at 8 p.m.
- Arco-Íris LGBT Cultural Fair / Lesbifest (Lesbian and Bisexual Women's Culture and Diversity Festival - Praça Onze, in Central Rio, and Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian - (venues subject to confirmation - Oct.31, 10 a.m.-10 p.m.
- Pre-Parade Party - Boite 1140 in Jacarepaguá - Oct.31 at 10 p.m.
The closing party will be at Le Boy, Frenchman Gilles Lascar's club in Copacabana, on November 1 at 10 p.m. So far, no parties have been announced at La Girl, Lascar's lesbian club.
With headquarters in Santa Teresa, a charming hilly neighborhood in Rio famous for its vintage homes, art studios, streetcar and B&Bs, Grupo Arco-Íris is one of the most active organizations for the advancement of GLBT causes in Brazil.
Some of the group's projects are an AIDS buddy program; Vamos nos Ver, or Let's See Ourselves - movie showings which highlight GLBT themes; Programa Acolher, or the Embracing Program, which provides counseling to the GLBT community; and the Women's Group, a Wednesday night gathering (7 p.m.-9 p.m.) open for discussions, movies, plays and poetry presentations.
The Brazilian Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transvestite and Transexual Association – ABGLT has an up-to-date listing of pride parades in Brazil under "Paradas e Eventos" in their Portuguese website.
