World cities celebrate LGBTQ rights at Pride

June is Pride Month. With parades in major cities around the world, LGTBQ people celebrate their communities and call for more acceptance and respect. Here, a young couple kisses at the Pride parade in Kolkata, India. Gay relationships were banned in India until 2018; same-sex marriages still aren't recognized.

It can often be difficult for young people to accept their own sexuality. Studies by German and French researchers from 2015 and 2016, respectively, found that many still fear rejection from their own family members when they come out. Acceptance by family and friends can be a great help during that time.

The world's largest Pride parade has been held in Sao Paulo, Brazil, since 1997. Up to 4 million participants take part in the event every year, marching along Paulista Avenue in the banking district, one of the city's most important thoroughfares. The parade is accompanied by numerous events intended to bring more visibility to the LGBTQ movement.

Like-minded people find protection and recognition in LGBTQ communities, such as here in Sao Paulo. Pride parades grew out of the Stonewall riots in June 1969, when police raided the Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street in New York. Guests at the gay tavern resisted arrest and pushed back against violence and discrimination, catalyzing the modern LGBTQ rights movement.

At the parade in Mexico City, thousands of people take part in the exuberant celebration, often dressed in garish costumes. Playing with cliches is an integral part of the movement. Until 1998, public immorality laws were used in Mexico to criminalize homosexual acts. Homosexuality was long considered taboo here, but it's increasingly being recognized.

At a parade in Wilton Manors, north of Miami, Senora Chacha proudly displays her magnificent costume. Last year, a participant died during the event when a truck revved its engine and plowed into the crowd. Earlier this year, Florida introduced the so-called "Don't Say Gay" law, intended to prevent elementary school teachers from talking about topics such as homosexuality and gender identity.

Other city celebrations see smaller groups, such as in the Bulgarian capital, Sofia. The gay community here hasn't always been able to celebrate so openly. Last year, the LGBTQ center Rainbow Hub was attacked by a violent mob led by far-right figure Boyan Rasate. In a 2019 survey, only 39% of Bulgarians said that homosexuals should be given equal rights.

At the 52nd NYC Pride march in Manhattan, revelers with Planned Parenthood expressed their outrage at the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court last week, which ended nearly 50 years of abortion rights in the US. The first in-person parade since 2019, it was as much a protest as a celebration, but as joyous as ever.

Oslo's Pride parade was canceled after a gunman went on a deadly rampage at an LGBTQ pub on Saturday night, killing two and leaving 21 injured. The suspect was a Norwegian citizen of Iranian origin who is believed to be an Islamist extremist with a history of mental illness. "Last night the rainbow was colored black," said Anette Trettebergstuen, Norway's minister of culture and equality.