50,000 take part in Lisbon’s 27th ‘LGBTQIA+ Pride March’

Thousands came together in Lisbon yesterday to take part in the 27th LGBTQIA+ Pride March (bringing together lesbians, gays, bissexuals, transexuals, intersexuals and ‘other identities’).

Under the banner “no silence, no fear”, the raucous event assembled at Marquês do Pombal at 5pm.

To the sounds of drums, and other musical instruments, participants waving banners started their slow march down the central avenue.

Messages were multiple, but the focus was on countering “the risks of reversals”, explain reports, including the “ideology” that seeks to revoke laws (on self-determination of gender identity) brought in in 2018.

Hélder Bértolo, of the Pride March organising committee explained: “We have already had an attempt in parliament to revoke Law 38, of 2018”, which would be “the first setback since April 25”, he stressed (referring to the 1974 ‘revolution’ overturning decades of dictatorship).

The LGBTQIA+ community is already “feeling that a series of rights” are being “attacked”, Bértolo said, thus yesterday’s moment was an opportunity for members to show their response.

Lusa reports that there were a number of left-wing politicians present, including LIVRE MP Paulo Muacho, who stressed that it was “more important than ever to take part in the march this year – and all the marches in the country – because right now we have an increasingly more radicalised right; a right that is trying to remove the rights of LGBT people…”

Joana Mortágua, of the Bloco de Esquerda, was also present, lamenting what she called “a government that has a conservative agenda; that wages war on all social rights:

“You can see this when it comes to the rights of women in the Labour Reform; in the rights of workers generally; in the prohibition of flags, in the way that the rights of young LGBT people are receding in schools,” she said – suggesting the march yesterday showed that protestors will resist these changes.

The organising committee also said in a statement that “the new political conjuncture (…) has once again placed people and LGBTQIA+ families in danger, with signs that conquests of recent decades are today at risk of reversals.

“In a year in which LGBTQIA+ people, especially trans and gender-diverse people, have been attacked without any shame, with attempts to reverse acquired rights, in what would be the first setback in Human Rights since April 25, and in which, for the first time in decades, Lisbon will not have the Arraial Pride in June, the importance of this demonstration is undeniable and a symbol of pride and struggle for the community, their families and allies,” the statement added.

Seventeen associations and collectives took part in the march.

Image: António Pedro Santos/ Lusa

Source material: LUSA