Sunday, June 14, 2009
Gay Pride in Bogota, Colombia, 2009
Gay Pride arrives in Bogota Colombia in June of 2009, and Vamos Colombia Tour is there!
The theme is "Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity is NOT a Game"
This year's gay pride parade promises to be a big as ever, and the LGBT community in Colombia has a lot to celebrate. In the past year, the courts in Colombia have expanded gay rights (including the right to give benefits to your same-sex domestic partner in a civil union), and the gay community has had more exposure than ever. Of course this exposure always comes with a backlash in the form of homophobia and at times violence. This is why having such events as a gay pride parade which is sponsored in part by the city and which goes through the heart of town and ends at the main city plaza with a rally is so important.
While we in the US and other countries are fighting for the right to marry, those in Colombia are still fighting for basic rights, and making great progress. Participating in Bogota's gay pride parade is an act of courage for many in Colombia still coming out and raising awareness in the general population.
Vamos Colombia Tour caters to the LGBT community and believes in promoting the rights of the LGBT community at home and abroad, including of course in Colombia. For this reason we have a tour that allows visitors to be in Bogota for the Gay Pride celebration.
As well, Vamos Colombia Tour is hosting a party on the weekend of gay pride to celebrate with our guests as well as fellow members of the LGBT travel community (including current and future IGLTA members) and larger gay community in Colombia. If you are in Bogota on Friday June 26, we hope you can join us for the party which is at the Hotel High Park, Carrera 4, #58-58, in the Chapinero district of Bogota.
Check back here for updates on the gay pride celebration in Bogota, Colombia, 2009.
The parade itself is Sunday, June 28, 2009.
Info on events can be found here, and also at:
Colombia's gay guide:
http://www.guiagaycolombia.com/index.htm
Sungay which benefits Colombia Diversa has a myspace page with information:
http://www.myspace.com/sungaybogota
Updates on gay rights in Colombia are on the website of Colombia Diversa, one the main gay rights organizations in Colombia:
http://www.colombiadiversa.org/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1
They also have a Facebook page:
http://eu-es.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6828846835&ref=share
An opinion piece (in Spanish) by a lesbian from Bogota appears on the website of vive.in, a mainstream entertainment and news website from El Tiempo, Bogota's principle newspaper.
http://bogota.vive.in/blogs/bogota/un_articulo.php?id_blog=3617441&id_recurso=450017791
The Bogota government even recognizes the LGBT community as part of the diversity of the city, and mentions the gay pride parade on this page:
http://www.culturarecreacionydeporte.gov.co/portal/node/113
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