They kissed, wearing spring clothes, turned the streets into a colorful sea: In São Paulo, tens of thousands of gays and lesbians have protested against homophobia. The demonstrators called for a tightening of criminal law.

In the Brazilian city of São Paulo on Sunday tens of thousands of people have protested at the annual Gay Pride parade against homophobia and demanded a harder criminal law. The participants also demanded of the government to criminalize discrimination against gays and lesbians.

Among the participants from all walks of life mingled after the Sunday Mass also some churchgoers . President Dilma Rousseff sent via Twitter a message of solidarity to São Paulo touting a hotline , can seek help from the victims of homophobic attacks .
” As long as there prejudices  , we will take to the streets ,” the actor Valder Bastos , who himself appears as a drag queen said. “We are here together to show that there are many of us out there. ”

The aligned since 1997 Gay Pride in São Paulo is one of the largest parades for gay rights worldwide. Alone last year were in Brazil , according to the independent civil rights movement Grupo Gay da Bahia , more than 300 homosexuals , transvestites and transsexuals killed from sexist motives .

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