Activist and former Dallasite Jesús Chairez reports in from Pasea de la Reforma
TAKING IT ALL IN | Former Dallasite Mario Luz attended Pride in Mexico City on June 28th. (Jesus Chairez/ Dallas Voice)
By Jesús Chairez | Special Contributor
A huge crowd attended Mexico City’s 36th annual Gay Pride Parade, officially known as the Marcha del Orgullo Lésbico, Gay, Bisexual, Transgénero, Travesti, Transexual e Intersexual, on June 28.
Organizers had said they expected a million people to attend this year’s event, and it looked like they got their crowd. As far as the eyes could see, to the right and to the left, Paseao de la Reforma was wall-to-wall LGBT Mexicans.
The Pride Parade begin at the Angel of Independence monument in Mexico City’s gayborhood, La Zona Rosa, and ended at the historical city square, El Zocalo,in front of the Presidential Palace and Mexico City’s main Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral.
The parade is a really a march — la marcha gay — because there are no metal street barriers keeping people back from parade entries. People actually start walking alongside their favorite bar or community organization.
Or they just walk when the mood moves them — and many were moved.
Former Dallasite Mario de la Luz, who now lives in Puebla City, Puebla, Mexico, participated in Mexico City’s Pride events for the first time this year. De la Luz said that although he had always enjoyed Dallas’ parade, he was most amazed and proud to see the number of LGBT Mexicans on the streets in a country he once believed was so very closeted.
Jesús Chairez is gay Latino activist and freelance writer. He created, produced and hosted the United States’ first two-hour LGBT Latino radio show, Sin Fronteras, which aired on KNON 89.3 FM in Dallas from 1993 to 2005. Chairez now resides in México City and may be reached at chairezstudio@gmail.com
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition July 4, 2014.
