If not for COVID, today would have been Sao Paulo Pride

[lambchopp59]

I don't know if we'll have a handle on COVID by then, but should it happen, I would love to take a "Fuck You Bolsonaro" tour of Sao Paulo someday.
I don't have the best handle on Portuguese, but I'm working on it, enough to functionally tour the city.
pasted from Vamosgay:
On March 17, the organizers of São Paulo’s Pride parade announced that the event previously scheduled for Sunday, June 14th has been cancelled, and the official new date is Sunday, November 22nd, 2020. The safety of the LGBT community in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic comes first.

[sandensea]

1. It's difficult to understate the hatred most Latin Am. right-wingers have for the LGBT community

Against lesbian women especially.

Any well-spoken woman who comes on tv to defend the gay community, or progressive policy in general, is automatically met with right-wing accusations of "being a lesbian" - which is the worst thing anyone can be to them.

This is usually followed by every slang epithet you can imagine (and then some).

Among the Latin American right, LGBT hatred is probably second only to that against dark-skinned people - quite the irony because, except for Argentina and Uruguay, white people are very much a minority in these countries.

[lambchopp59]

2. All the more reason I want to scare up a whole crew to go

Albeit the safety in numbers thing is likely okay along the parade and crowded LGBT areas, I wouldn't dare walk there alone.
I'd still relish getting a U.S. citizen crew together to pose with a banner to post onto twitter and stuff upon our return.
The Sao Paulo Pride attracts 5 million visitors on the average year.

[sandensea]

3. There'll be one in Buenos Aires in November.

It might be a better option for a number of reasons.

Besides its other, routine problems, São Paulo is currently going through a severe Covid crisis - with 180,000 known cases in that metro area alone (doctors believe the number to be up to 5 times higher, due to Bolso's active policy of discouraging reporting of cases).

Buenos Aires has its own Covid problem (13,000 known cases) - but because the new center-left president acted quickly, it's somewhat well contained.

International flights to and from Argentina are currently suspended though - but the suspension will be lifted on August 31st (knock wood).

Here's footage from the last Pride march there. Enjoy:

[lambchopp59]

4. Yes, all bets are off if there's no COVID control. Which is fairly likely

That even the deferred date will be postponed or cancelled again.
But I may consider that option too. Once again depending on world health status.

[sandensea]

5. A year to remember, no doubt about it.

Just not in a good way.

Between you and me, it wouldn't be at all surprised if we later found out that Cheeto was somehow behind this - a botched bio-warfare attack against China, perhaps.

The Pentagon and CIA would never have gone for it - but we know he uses mercenaries (the Venezuela fiasco in February, for example).

I could just hear him:

"China won't give my Tootsie (Ivanka) her $2 billion? Release the bug!"

"But, sir. If we do that, it'll reach U.S. shores - and we can't stop it."

"Did I stutter? Do it, dammit!!"

[Judi Lynn]

6. Hope you can make it! Kicking. n/t