[IN PHOTOS] The biggest Pride march in Lima's history

In photos, this is how the largest Pride march in Lima's history looked, with the slogan: "Education with freedom and equality, let's defend the gender approach."

June 30, 2019

Photos: Esteban Marchand, from Lima

It was the largest Pride march in Lima's history. This Saturday, June 29, thousands of people gathered at Campo de Marte to begin a march that ended hours later in Plaza San Martín. "I march for a Peru that is neither racist nor transphobic," Afro-Peruvian and lesbian activist Brenda Carpio told Presentes. Until the early hours of the morning, downtown Lima was filled with LGBT+ people.

The main slogan of the 18th Lima Pride March was "Education with freedom and equality, let's defend the gender perspective." As in previous years, defending the gender perspective is a priority on the agenda of sexual diversity and feminism, given the rise of anti-rights movements. Since 2017, conservative sectors have been organizing to try to eliminate this public policy from the Peruvian state.

The massive presence of sexual diversity in the streets was a huge surprise, even for activists, on a day when Peru was playing in the Copa America match.

In addition to the large number of people, yesterday's march marked a milestone on the political agenda: for the first time, it included the participation of Prime Minister Salvador del Solar. He marched alongside members of Congress who advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.

"This is the first time the LGBTQ+ community has taken to the streets en masse and demonstrated its existence. And that's impressive," said Vero Ferrari, a LGBTQ+ rights activist, journalist, and member of Nuevo Perú. "I don't know what the government is going to do about this."

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