Lima mayor heads Gay Pride march in Peru capital

Lima Mayor Susana Villaran waved at supporters from a colorful float as she led a small Gay Pride parade down the streets of the Peruvian capital. The Homosexual Movement of Lima is the oldest gay organization in Latin America, but the group was only able to gather a few hundred people for its 10th annual parade on Saturday. The figure is dwarfed by Peru's neighbor Brazil, where an estimated four million people danced and marched in a June 27 Gay Pride parade in Sao Paulo. "As a citizen, I joined the Gay Pride parade. I did it again as a candidate, and now as the main authority in the city I join in this parade through the streets of Lima," Villaran told reporters. Men and women dressed in sequined outfits, colorful dresses and waving rainbow flags danced on floats to the beat of techno music. Others walked along the vehicles handing out condoms to supporters lining the streets. The parade ended at a downtown city plaza, where an open-air party was held with live music.