With a massive ballot box spanning Paulista Avenue and plenty of fan-waving, the São Paulo LGBT+ Pride Parade drew a huge crowd this Sunday (Jun. 7). Celebrating its 30th anniversary, this year's event adopted the theme “30 years of the São Paulo Pride Parade: The streets call, the ballot box confirms,” sparking debate about the importance of voting and democratic participation in defending the rights of the LGBT+ community.

In October this year, Brazil will hold elections for president, governors, senators, and federal and state representatives.

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The first edition of the São Paulo LGBT+ Pride Parade took place in 1996 at Roosevelt Square. It was not until the following year that the event moved to Paulista Avenue, where it has since become firmly established. Since then, the parade has consistently brought discussions of issues fundamental to the LGBT+ movement into the public sphere, including the recognition of civil unions, the right to gender identity, adoption by same-sex couples, and the criminalization of LGBTphobia, among others. Last year, for example, the event focused on the issue of aging.

“Today marks a milestone for us because all the rights the LGBT+ community enjoys originated here on Paulista Avenue,” said Matheus Emílio Pereira da Silva, director of the São Paulo LGBT Pride Parade Association (APOLGBT-SP).

“In 2005, we addressed the right to civil unions, and a decade later, it was recognized by the Supreme Court. We also addressed the criminalization of LGBTphobia. In 2006, we brought this issue to the forefront, and later the court recognized it as well, equating LGBTphobia with the crime of racism. We have spoken about the rights of the trans community, the right to donate blood, and the right to adopt. All of these were issues that were first brought to the streets of Paulista Avenue before reaching the courts. This demonstrates the importance of the São Paulo Pride Parade over these three decades of struggle,” Silva emphasized.

Despite these achievements, the director of the São Paulo Pride Parade emphasized that there is still a long way to go.

“We need a commitment from our legislature to enshrine these rights in law - and not just through court rulings, as we have today,” he said.

That is why, this year, the Parade’s theme is the elections. “It’s important for us to talk about this to raise awareness among our population, especially LGBT+ people, so that they vote for and elect candidates committed to LGBT rights and to society as a whole - people who don’t legislate only for themselves, but for the people,” Silva stated.

Reduced sponsorship

Although slightly smaller this year due to declining sponsorship, the São Paulo Parade took to the streets with a reduced number of floats, which paraded down Paulista Avenue and Consolação Street before arriving at Republic Square.

According to event organizers, sponsorship revenue dropped by 60 percent this year, affecting not only the parade’s organization but also the social and cultural initiatives promoted by APOLGBT-SP. With fewer resources available, the number of floats fell to 14, down from 17 in 2025. However, the federal government took part in the parade.

“The Ministry of Human Rights has been a regular presence at the parade. The one in São Paulo is the largest in the world, so it’s a joy for us to be here. And this year, the Ministry is running a campaign, ‘Brazil Is of All Colors: For All People,’ and it is important for us to remind and emphasize to the Brazilian public the need to guarantee the rights of the LGBT community,” said Human Rights Minister Janine Mello during an interview with Agência Brasil at the event.

“We have a range of policies targeting different aspects of the LGBTQIA+ community. These range from initiatives focused on empowerment and workplace inclusion to support measures for times of vulnerability. We recently submitted a bill to Congress on the National Policy on LGBT Rights, which will address various issues, including combating violence against LGBTQIA+ people,” the minister added.