More than 2 million people have taken to the streets of Sao Paulo to celebrate the Brazilian city's tenth annual Gay Pride parade. One report quoted police as saying that 2.4 million people were at the parade, which organizers say has become the largest of its kind in the world.

Revelers dressed in costumes danced through one of the main avenues, as music blared out of huge loudspeakers.

Gay rights activists say discrimination is still widespread across Brazil. Eighty-one Brazilians were killed last year because of their sexual orientation, campaigners say.

The theme for this year's event is "homophobia is a crime" to highlight proposed anti-discrimination laws.

Police estimate this year's festival has attracted 2.4million people, compared with the official crowd count of 1.8m last year.

Revelers dressed up as Batman, Elis Presley, Cinderella, Marie Antoinette. Some took their inspiration from the Oscar-winning movie Brokeback Mountain, whose lead characters are two gay cowboys. Others also gave a nod to the football World Cup, dressing in the team colors of yellow, green and blue.

22 floats made their way down the Avenida Paulista in the financial heart of Sao Paulo, as dance music blared out of huge loudspeakers.

But correspondents say that behind the revelry is a serious message. The marchers' main demand was the legalization of gay unions in Brazil, where a proposed law has been debated in Congress for 10 years. New laws would allow civil unions between same-sex couples across Brazil, which are permitted only in the southernmost state of Rio do Sul. But the Roman Catholic Church opposes gay marriage in the country, which is the world's largest Catholic nation. Activists say they no longer want to be seven as sinners by the Church.

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Brazil
guide


 

   Rio de Janeiro guide

  Rio de Janeiro
  Brief history
  State
  travel details
  Warning
  Orientation: Centro,
    Zona Sul, Zona Norte
  Getting around
Nightlife
  Film
  Rio Gay
  Best of Rio
  Info
 Favelas
 Arrival
 Shopping
 Carnaval
Eating and drinking:
Churrascarias, vegetarian
For eating in Brazil, read also:
Eating & drinking
     Street foods,
     snacks
     Restaurants
     vegetarian /natural
     Soft drinks, hot
     drinks 

Zona Sul
Sports, beach fashion
Arpoador, Ipanema,
Leblon
Jardim Botanico
Lagoa
Lagoa Christmas tree
Leme and Copacabana Beach
Alto da Boa Vista, Parque Nacional da Tijuca
Urca and Pão de Açúcar 
Gavea and Jockey Club

 Buzios

Buzios Town and its beaches
Restaurants
Eating options
Getting there
Getting around
Climate and travel info
Buzios Beaches
  Buzios Beaches 2
Buzios Scuba diving
  Buzios Golf
 Buzios Stones St and
    night life
Ecotourism
Hotels in Buzios