A young man looks down from a float in the parade

By Jesus Chairez

Contributing writer

MEXICO CITY—The 29th annual Mexico City LGBT Pride Parade, with the theme "Naming Realities—Changing Societies," was celebrated in Mexico's capital city June 30.

The Pride Parade, with 220,000 marchers and over 100 entries, started at the Angel of Independence in Mexico City's La Zona Rosa (Pink Zone), a gay central business district filled with hotels, coffee shops, numerous clubs and boutiques.

The parade's beginning point, the Angel, is located on the Paseo de la Reforma, Mexico City's grand avenue originally built in the 1860s by Emperor Maximilian. From the Angel the parade moved though the city's central historic district and ended at the Zocalo, where Mexico's National Palace, the country's central seat of government, is located.

The beginning of the parade was lead by Colectivo T: Transgender, Transsexual and Travesti and a large contingent of lesbian marchers.

"This year's march was the largest ever," said Super Gay, a gay Lucha Libre persona who is well known for fighting homophobia in Mexico City. "Take into consideration this year that the march entered the Zocalo for the first time ever using two different streets, 5 de Mayo and Madero."

Though there were 220,000 participants in the parade, organizers of the march estimated 500,000 people total at the event, including those watching from the sidelines.

This year's event drew the largest crowds ever to celebrate Mexico City and the Northeastern state of Coahuila passing civil unions legislation. People from all over the country came to show their pride and to celebrate their ability to finally have civil unions.