‘We’re still vulnerable’: LGBTQ+ Colombians speak out at Pride - Video
Thousands of people marched through the streets of Bogotá on June 29 to take part in Colombia’s annual LGBTQ+ Pride parade.
The event served both as a celebration of identity and as a protest against ongoing violence and discrimination faced by the LGBTQ+ community in the country.
“We are still very vulnerable, we are attacked a lot. Every 48 hours, a person from the community dies in Colombia. We still lack a lot of culture, we lack a lot of love,” 28-year-old agricultural engineer Ingrid Chacon told AFP.
Another participant, 32-year-old fashion designer Andrew Lopez, expressed solidarity with those unable to join the march. “Today, I come for the people who cannot raise their voices, for the people who cannot be here demonstrating, for the people who have not been able to attend and for the rights that are lacking in our community,” he said.
While Colombia's constitution includes protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity, LGBTQ+ individuals continue to face high levels of violence. In 2022, human rights organisation Colombia Diversa reported 148 killings of LGBTQ+ people, including 28 believed to be motivated by prejudice.
That same year, the organisation also documented 97 incidents of police violence affecting 107 LGBTQ+ individuals. According to the Attorney General’s Office, 134 LGBTQ+ people were killed between January and November 2023.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
