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RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) \u2014 Thousands of revelers gathered alongside Copacabana beach for Rio de Janeiro\u2019s annual pride parade<\/a> on Sunday, many scantily dressed and covered in glitter.<\/p>\n Rainbow-colored flags, towels and fans abounded among the crowd mostly made up of young people who danced and sang along to music blaring from speakers.<\/p>\n While the atmosphere was festive, some spoke of the threat of violence LGBTQ+ people face in Brazil.<\/p>\n See for yourself \u2014 The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n \u201cAs the sister of a trans woman, I\u2019m scared to death,\u201d said Helen Karaj\u00e1, a 32-year-old bisexual artist.<\/p>\n At least 230 LGBTQ+ Brazilians were victims of violent deaths in 2023, according to the umbrella watchdog group Observatory of LGBTI+ deaths and violence in Brazil.<\/p>\n And more trans people \u2014 100 \u2014 were murdered in Brazil<\/a> last year than in any other country, according to Transgender Europe, a network of global non-profits that tracks the data.<\/p>\n To be sure, life for gay people is safer now than it used to be, said Carlos da Cunha, a 71-year-old hairdresser.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the past, people had to go to ghettos to meet people, because you couldn\u2019t just be anywhere,\u201d said da Cunha. \u201cNow, we can walk down the street without being attacked, without being insulted or humiliated.”<\/p>\n One of the themes of this year\u2019s pride march was sustainability. \u201cEnvironmental justice will only be possible with racial and social justice, gender equality and sexual diversity\u201d read one banner attached to a truck.<\/p>\n Brazil has faced a series of environmental catastrophes this year, including record drought in the Amazon rainforest<\/a>, floods in the southern Rio Grande do Sul<\/a> state, and wildfires<\/a> across the country.<\/p>\n \u201cIf we can\u2019t respect the environment, how can we respect others?\u201d said Alexia Soutinho, a 23-year-old student who identifies as pansexual and lives in the Cidade de Deus favela<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nTrusted news and daily delights, right in your inbox<\/h4>\n