Promoted under the slogan “40 years: Love, Pride and Struggle for Diversity,” the third annual edition of Chapala Pride will celebrate Mexico’s movement in advocacy for sexual diversity and gender equality with a full day of activities Saturday, November 17.
The event will bring together lesbian, gay, bisexual, transvestite, transgender, transexual and intersexual (LGBTTTI) communities in the Lake Chapala region, the Guadalajara metro area and points beyond, along with the public at large, in unity for the acommon cause of understanding and mutual respect.
Organizers recognize Chapala as one of the few Jalisco municipalities outside of the state capital that openly support demonstrations of LGBTTTI pride. The local government and the Lake Chapala Society are on board as co-sponsors.
The program kicks off with a friendly soccer match between LGBTTTI teams Leozas and Muñecas de Autlán, to take place at the municipal soccer field at the north end of Avenida Madero, 10 a.m.
Participants in the Chapala Pride parade are slated to gather outside the Cazadores Restaurant, at the corner of Avenida Madero and Paseo Ramón Corona, 4 p.m. The parade will head out along the northbound lane of Madero to the far end of the median strip and reverse direction to return to the waterfront malecón. All interested persons are welcome to join the march on foot or floats, or stand on the sidelines as spectators.
After the cavalcade, a lively festival will be staged at the open-air forum located on the eastern leg of the Malecón, opposite the Jesús Pescador island, starting 6 p.m. The entertainment will feature performances by impersonators of famous singers, a ballet folklorico troupe and theater groups. Guest speakers who will address issues such as homophobia, discrimination and marriage and adoption equality include Benjamín González Mauricio from the Jalisco Human Rights Commission and Chapala City Councilor Edith González Rodríguez, a long-time activist for LGBTTTI rights.
The gay rights movement in Mexico arose 40 years ago, in the wake of the notorious October 2, 1968, Tlatelolco massacre, in which hundreds of political protestors were slaughtered by police and military forces. Over subsequent decades the country’s LGBTTTI activists have consolidated to achieve greater acceptance in society and increasing rights of equality, as enshrined in the Constitution and recent legislation.
Chapala now stands out as a Jalisco bastion for civil marriage between same-sex couples and an inclusive community for people of diverse sexual orientation.