Scenes from the 2011 Gay Pride Parade

Today was Bogotá's annual Gay Pride Parade - a colorful, flamboyant, sexual event. After seeing this, nobody should call Bogotá sexually repressed.

Colombia is relatively progressive on gay issues. Same-sex couples can register civil unions and enjoy most of the rights of marriage - except for the word 'marriage' and the right to adopt. The Constitutional Court is supposed to rule on gay marriage in July.  Gay rights advocates should be optimistic, as the high court has produced a series of progressive rulings in recent years.

Bogotá also has a gay neighborhood, Chapinero, and several organizations promoting equal rights for sexual minorities, the best known of which is Colombia Diversa.

Man with man, woman with woman, and the reverse. 

A bride who was born a man.

Extravagant dancer. 

'Disorder and pride.' I'm not sure what this referred to. 

These two guys said they represented U.S. gays. Ironically, on a national level Colombia's laws for same-sex couples are more progressive. 

A vendor at work. 

Signs urge the courts to approve gay marriage. I wonder, however, whether flamboyant  events like this one really help the gays' case with the mostly straight-laced people on the high court. 

Photographing. 

An arboreal viewpoint. 

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours