At 1 pm local time on July 8, more than 26,000 people participated in the Gay Pride Parade in central London, England, calling on people to pay attention to the issue of homosexual equality. More than 300 different organizations joined the parade, people wearing colorful clothes and holding high the rainbow flag . London's landmark buildings, shopping malls and subway stations are also decorated with rainbow colors.
This year marks the 45th year of the Gay Parade in London, with the theme of the parade "Love Happens Here). At the same time, 2017 is also the 50th year for England and Wales to decriminalize homosexuality.
In the parade, many homosexuals generously walked in the crowd with their partners' hands. London Police, Post Office, Fire Department, Hospital, etc. also sent delegations to participate. A female policewoman from the London Traffic Police Department was publicly held by her girlfriend holding a ring during the parade. The audience who proposed and witnessed this moment also conveyed their blessings with cheers.
According to the BBC (BBC), on the day of the event, London Mayor Sadiq Khan came to Trafalgar Square in central London to shout to those participating in the parade, saying that when the shadow of the London terrorist attacks had not completely dissipated, the parade was "sad" The best antidote.
British Prime Minister Theresa May also said that the UK will question the government that "convicts or commits violence and discrimination against homosexuals" and called on the UK to adhere to "true equality and respect for everyone".
The gay parade can be traced back to the United States in 1970, when nearly 10,000 homosexuals gathered in New York to speak out for the legal status and rights of homosexuals. The gay parade in the UK began in 1972. Subsequently, the event gradually developed into a platform for homosexual groups to express their demands, and the rainbow flag, as a representative of gender diversity, became a symbol of this event.
Related reading: [Live] New York gay group annual parade chant "Let Trump get out
Nowadays, from June to July, homosexual parades will be held in major cities in Europe and the United States, including New York, San Francisco , Chicago, London, Manchester, Paris, etc. A total of 1 million people will participate in parades around the world this year.
BBC's report also mentioned that this year, the British Parliament Building ( Westminster Palace ) also participated in the London gay parade for the first time, lit up the rainbow lights at night and raised the rainbow flag near Big Ben.
, who decided to light up rainbow lights for the Parliament building, , House of Lords 2, Speaker Lord Fowler said in an interview that the lights were to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the legalization of gays in the UK while supporting the "London Pride Week" event.
"At present, more than 70 countries in the world define homosexuality as illegal, including many Commonwealth countries," said Lord Fowler. "A parade and lights may not solve the issue of equality, but these actions will be conveyed to those who are treated unfairly, and there are still people in the world supporting them."
Statistics from the International Federation of Gay Sexuals (ILGA) also confirm Fowler's statement that at least 71 countries in the world (including one-third of the United Nations member states) believe that homosexual sexual behavior is a criminal act. Among them, eight countries including Iran , Sudan , Saudi Arabia , Yemen , Somalia , Syria and Iraq , etc., will even apply the death penalty to homosexual sexual behavior.
Currently, 22 countries around the world recognize the legality of same-sex marriage. A week ago, the German Parliament just passed gay marriage legislation. According to USA Today on July 7, Germany's move will make it the 23rd country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage.
