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Thousands of revellers descended connected the boardwalk successful Copacabana for Rio de Janeiro's yearly Pride parade connected Sunday (November 23, 2025), with galore celebrating the erstwhile day's preemptive jailing of Brazilian erstwhile President Jair Bolsonaro who is notorious for homophobic remarks.
Demonstrators addressing crowds from trucks shouted: "He's successful prison!" and "Out with Bolsonaro!" to raucous cheers from rainbow-clad members of the LGBTQ+ community, who were a predominant people of the embattled far-right person passim his career.
"It's precise gratifying," said Emy Mateus Santos, a 25-year-old arts, theatre and creation prof who was wearing a T-shirt with the colours of the Brazilian flag, a awesome that has often been utilized by Bolsonaro supporters.
Anti-Bolsonaro demonstrators observe aft Brazil's erstwhile President Jair Bolsonaro was taken into national constabulary custody, ending months of location arrest, successful Sao Paulo, Brazil, connected November 23, 2025. | Photo Credit: Reuters
"It shows that warring hatred is worthy it and that the aboriginal is imaginable for radical similar us," she said, adding that she was wearing yellowish and greenish to assertion the colours backmost from Bolsonaro's movement.
Bolsonaro erstwhile described himself arsenic a "proud homophobe" and said helium would alternatively person a dormant lad than a cheery son.
In September, Bolsonaro was sentenced to 27 years successful situation successful September for attempting a coup to stay successful the presidency aft his 2022 electoral defeat.
He had been nether location arrest, but connected Saturday (November 22) Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the 70-year-old leader's preemptive jailing, arguing that helium is simply a formation risk.
Bolsonaro admitted connected Saturday to utilizing a soldering robust connected his ankle monitor, but said connected Sunday that his actions resulted from a tense breakdown and hallucinations.
Some participants of the Pride march successful Rio bore "No amnesty!" stickers, successful notation to a measure Bolsonaro's allies are trying to propulsion done Congress to lessen sentences for those convicted of attempting a coup.
Revellers collectively carried a immense rainbow flag. Trucks bore messages specified arsenic "without lesbians, rights are not human" and "Rio without LGBTIphobia."
Rio's Pride march 30 years agone was the archetypal successful Brazil, according to organisers. That past was referenced successful this year's taxable titled: "30 years making history: from the archetypal struggles for the close to beryllium to gathering sustainable futures." "Thirty years agone we had to marque 1,000 masks retired of papier-mâché for radical who didn't privation to beryllium recognised for fearfulness of losing their jobs, of being kicked retired from their families," said Cláudio Nascimento, a longtime organiser of the march.
"Now we usage masks to bring joyousness and to observe our existence," helium told journalists.
Violence faced by LGBTQ+ people
While beingness has improved for LGBTQ+ radical successful Brazil compared to 30 years ago, they proceed to endure from violence.
At slightest 291 LGBTQ+ Brazilians were victims of convulsive deaths successful 2024, 34 much deaths than the erstwhile year, according to the activistic radical Gay Group from Bahia.
"As agelong arsenic these statistic are inactive a reality, Pride marches volition inactive beryllium necessary," said Flavio Salgueiro, a 34-year-old lawyer who lives successful Sao Paulo and was astatine the march successful Rio.
"It's truly important to amusement that a agreed assemblage exists successful a nine which has a task to erase us," helium said.
Many activists accidental Bolsonaro's anti-gay rhetoric incites oregon legitimises unit against LGBTQ+ people.
"As a politician, Bolsonaro greatly reduced nationalist policies aimed astatine protecting, supporting and promoting diversity," Dani Balbi, the archetypal trans pistillate to beryllium elected astatine Rio's authorities assembly, told The Associated Press.
"Seeing Bolsonaro imprisoned and past instantly having LGBT trucks retired connected the thoroughfare is simply a solemnisation successful the anticipation that politicians similar him ne'er return," she said.
