STORY: Members and supporters of the LGBTQ+ community in Latin America marched through four major capital cities on Saturday (June 28) to stand up for their rights.

Thousands joined Mexico City’s 47th Pride Parade under the motto, “Diversity without borders: Justice, Resistance and Unity.” The march started on Reforma Avenue and ended at downtown Zocalo Square, where a number of artists were scheduled to deliver free concerts.

Some five million people aged 15 years or older are identified as members of the LGBTI+ community, according to the statistics agency and data from 2021.

Some of the challenges to overcome in the North American nation concern security, as at least 36 trans women were killed in 2024, according to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights report.

Hundreds marched in Caracas, Venezuela to celebrate the right of the LGBTQ+ community to be free and respected.

The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights warned in a statement on Friday (June 27) of an “alarming” deterioration of human rights in the Caribbean nation, denouncing “persistent discrimination towards LGBTQ+ people, who are victims of hate and violent crimes in detention centres with no access to justice.”

In the Bolivian capital, demonstrators wore a wide range of costumes, including devils, drag queens paraded and danced along the streets.

The Ombudsman reported two murders of members of the trans community in 2024, according to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights report.

An Ipsos survey showed 30% of Bolivians approve of members of the LGBTQ+ community showing their sexual orientation in public, compared to the global average of 47%.

In Lima, over 50,000 people were expected to join the city’s 23rd Pride Parade, which was organized into six blocks according to the rainbow flag colours and marched to downtown. According to a Peru21-Ipsos survey, 69% of Peruvians disapprove of same-sex marriage, which is three points higher than in 2023; 24% approve of it. Peru hasn’t legalised same-sex marriage.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO (JUNE 28, 2025) (REUTERS – Access all)

1. DEMONSTRATORS MARCHING WITH RAINBOW UMBRELLAS, BANNERS

2. DANCER ON STILTS DANCING

3. DRAG QUEEN DANCING

4. DANCERS ON STILTS

5. DEMONSTRATORS MOVING GIANT RAINBOW FLAG

6. BAND PLAYING

7. PERSON IN ANGEL WINGS MARCHING

8. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) DEMONSTRATOR, ANGEL RODRIGUEZ, SAYING:

“As a result of us starting to wake up, we began to demand our rights, and it’s been something really great. I mean, I come here to enjoy, to celebrate freedom, to celebrate openness to many, images, to many ideas, and I want to fight for more, to fight for us to be accepted and loved for who we are, as people, just as we are, like everyone else.”

9. MARCH IN PROGRESS

10. PEOPLE CHANTING AND DANCING DURING MARCH

11. (MUTE) DRONE SHOT OF MARCH IN PROGRESS ALONG AVENUE

CARACAS, VENEZUELA (JUNE 28, 2025) (REUTERS – Access all)

12. PEOPLE MARCHING AND SINGING

13. PEOPLE MARCHING BEHIND BANNER READING (Spanish): “No discrimination”

14. DEMONSTRATOR DANCING WHILE MARCHING

15. SIGN READING (Spanish): “Gay blood runs in Latin America”

16. DEMONSTRATOR DANCING

17. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) MAKEUP ARTIST, XAVIER LEAL, SAYING:

“To me, today represents me being able to share, to show who I am without having to hide. This is me, this is my family. I’m taking to the streets to say ‘I don’t have to hide from anything.’ It’s really a celebration to know who we are, what we do, and to show that we also exist.”

18. COUPLE KISSING EACH OTHER

19. PEOPLE MARCHING AND DANCING

LA PAZ, BOLIVIA (JUNE 28, 2025) (REUTERS – Access all)

20. DEMONSTRATORS WAVING GIANT RAINBOW FLAG

21. DEMONSTRATOR HOLDING SIGN READING (Spanish): “Live with no fear”

22. DRAG QUEEN IN EVIL COSTUME

23. DEMONSTRATORS MARCHING WITH FLAGS AND SIGNS

24. DRAG QUEEN MARCHING

25. DEMONSTRATORS MARCHING HOLDING GIANT RAINBOW FLAG

26. DRAG QUEEN SATYMATIUM SAY MARCHING

27. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) DRAG QUEEN, SATYMATIUM SAY, SAYING:

“Today’s dance is a bit of joy on this date of the year. But we have the whole year to show we’re educated, hard working and fighting people in our country, Bolivia.”

28. VARIOUS OF DEMONSTRATORS DANCING

29. DEMONSTRATOR IN DEVIL’S COSTUME

30. DEMONSTRATOR DANCING WITH HOOPS

LIMA, PERU (JUNE 28, 2025) (REUTERS – Access all)

31. DEMONSTRATORS MARCHING BEHIND FLOAT

32. DEMONSTRATORS WAVING GIANT RAINBOW FLAG

33. DEMONSTRATOR DRESSED IN FREDDIE MERCURY’S OUTFIT

34. DRAG QUEEN ON FLOAT

35. DEMONSTRATORS CHANTING

36. BAND PLAYING DRUMS

37. COUPLE ON FLOAT KISSING EACH OTHER

38. DEMONSTRATORS ON FLOAT SINGING

39. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) DEMONSTRATOR, JANIS NARVAC, SAYING:

“We demand not to be discriminated against, because we’re in a country where we go back and forth (in rights), so if we don’t fight, we will continue taking steps backwards. So this is why we are here, to keep moving forward.”

40. DEMONSTRATORS MARCHING, DANCING AND SINGING