What's especially interesting is that I've been seeing public service announcements on TV about accepting homosexuality here. The ad starts off with a women in traditional Aymara clothing asking how you would feel if you were discriminated against and then shows various people who tell you they are gay, lesbian and transexual. Pretty progressive government-sponsored PSA if you ask me. Below is my favorite transexual, dressed as a cholita (traditionally-dressed woman).
Tens of thousands of people were celebrating, lining 2 streets, 5 people deep for as far as you could see with lots of kids and babies kept up late to celebrate. It's hard to know if everyone was in favor of gay-pride or if they were there to see the spectacle, but either way the parade was so much fun that I'm sure it helped educate people and expanded acceptance of homosexuality.
***
This morning, like apparently all Sunday mornings, the main street was blocked off for what is like a big block party. But it goes on for blocks and blocks. Lots of kids' games and information booths, artists, capoeira, etc. One interesting group I saw was this one, La Brigada Verde, or Green Brigade. They are actually part of the police force and enforce environmental laws! Novel idea!
The reason I was downtown was to see the 2008 Miss Cholita Pacena contest. This is basically a pageant where a cholita is chosen to represent La Paz and seeks to instill pride in indigenous women who choose to wear the traditional dress of wide skirt, bowler hat and long plaited hair. Not a bikini in sight! I'd heard about the event on TV and lots of people were out to celebrate. Here is a photo of traditional dancers that started off the event:
Here is a photo of Yolanda, the representative from the Max Paredes district. I'd seen her on TV and ran into her on the street before she went on stage. I recognized her and wished her luck and we talked for a bit. Not surprisingly I rooted for her:
Here are all the contestants. They each introduced themselves, most in Spanish and Aymara and/or Quechua (I think to prove their cholita credentials) and they had to answer a randomly-picked question about current-day Bolivia or Bolivian history. One woman used her introduction as a political platform to rally support for Evo Morales. 
They women did a traditional group dance at the end.
Signing off for now. More to follow this week!Hugs,
Kim
2 comments:
Hi Honey,
Just logged on, Sunday 7:30, to see what interesting activities you have posted. Love the "gay Pride" parade, just like NYC.
What questions were the contestant in the beauty contest asked? Was there the typical, become a brain surgeon, save the world, promote peace and feed the starving as we always get here?
I spent a rather lazy day, putseyed around sorting and filing papers and trying to get Caramel hair off my whilte sofa, but tomorrow will bring irs usual round of meetings. I met last week with a young man who will be retiring fron the Army who has been a hospital administrator in the Army. He was seeking general information about hospital based jobs here in the Monadnock region. I tried to encourage him to coem here.
I hope you do not mind that I gave your webpage address to an old friend who was interested in your activities.
Love,
Grandma
It is cool that they have all these parades, protests, block parties, and everything. Must make it so fun and interesting for you! Have you had much time to think about where you and Brian will go when he comes down later this summer?
Love, Mom
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