“The Pride, an act of resistance” – South West

D M any weapon police scrutinize carefully the passage of the rainbow sky tanks, in a festive atmosphere: the Pride Parade LGBT massive, was held in Paris yesterday under tight security, three weeks after the attack against a gay nightclub in Orlando, United States. Bag searches of participants, perpendicular streets closed all the way, very visible police … Measures to reassure participants clearly borne fruit. The mobilization is impressive.

For 15 hours, tens of thousands of people rush along the Seine, near the Louvre, in an endless procession, onto Place de la Bastille. The smiling crowd emerged a few drag queens, a handful of men dressed in mini-shorts, or a nun face adorned with piercings, wearing pants in pink feathers.

After the Orlando attack claimed by the Islamic State organization, which has 49 dead June 12, “walking is an act of resistance,” says Amanda Miguel, a spokesman Inter-LGBT association, organizer of the march.

“We must not give in to fear. We need more than ever to reaffirm our visibility and pride in the streets, “she said, to the cheers of the crowd. “Proud to be lesbians, gays, trans, bi (s), or poz séronegs [...] head high, we will join the Bastille for our rights, our freedoms, our health, for ourselves, our lovers and our lovers , our families, our children, “says Camille Spire.

President for Île-de-France NGO Aids recalls the “seriousness” of the moment. “We walk in memory of our sisters and our brothers murdered” in Florida. Several political personalities attended the event, as the Minister of Culture, Audrey Azoulay, the Socialist deputy Benoit Hamon, the member EELV Cécile Duflot, the mayor (PS) of Paris Anne Hidalgo and presidential candidate Jean- Luc Mélenchon.

“Claims trans”

“After Orlando, more than ever reaffirm the republican values ​​of equality, tolerance and respect,” tweeted his part the Prime Minister Manuel Valls.

In the procession, the atmosphere is decidedly festive. Hundreds of young people jumping and dancing in unison on the techno music that mixes one of the DJ perched on a tank. At the rear of the trailer reads the event’s slogan: “The rights of trans people have an emergency.”

“For the first time, the Pride parade behind a slogan that promotes trans claims” and denounced the “forced sterilization”, the “aggression” and “poverty” experienced, is glad Sun Hee Yoon, president of the Association Acthé, calling the day “historic”.