Crowd celebrates LGBT Pride in Venezuela

"No more, no less, equal rights!", chanted this Sunday thousands of people who marched in Caracas to celebrate LGBT Pride in a very conservative Venezuela, without legislation on issues such as equal marriage or homoparental families.

The march, which brought together some 20,000 people according to the authorities, ended with the delivery to the Vice Minister of Gender Equality, Yzamary Matute, of a document that requires respect for the change of names in the civil registry in the case of trans people and the registration of children from homoparental families and same-sex marriages celebrated in other countries.

"It is a celebration march, but it is also a fight march," said activist Codi Campos when consigning the text.

Homosexual marriage is not allowed in Venezuela, unlike other Latin American countries such as Argentina, Brazil or Uruguay, which do protect it by law, as well as several states in Mexico. Still, despite multiple initiatives, it has not been considered in Parliament.

Sometimes he is "afraid" to go out with his partner, Jesus confesses. "There is too much news about abuse," he says.

Protesters like him called for measures against the violence suffered by members of the LGBT community in a country where at least 16 people were killed because of their sexual orientation or gender identity and expression, according to NGOs.