Despite the fact that gay discrimination is still widespread across Brazil, the 11th gay pride parade took place in Sao Paulo. It was the culmination of a whole week of events called gay pride week.

Millions packed the streets of Sao Paulo for what organizers said was the world?s largest gay pride parade, dancing and waving rainbow flags in a carnival-like atmosphere to condemn homophobia, racism and sexism.

At least 3 million filled the canyon-like Paulista Avenue, organizers said, surpassing last year?s count of 2.5 million. The larger count was confirmed by a police spokesman who is not authorized to be quoted by name under department rules.

?This is the biggest parade on the planet,? Tourism Minister Marta Suplicy said. ?Our city is showing, once again, its respect for diversity.?

In comparison, recent gay pride parades in New York and San Francisco have drawn tens of thousands, and world gay pride day celebrations in Berlin in 2004 attracted between 200,000 and 500,000 participants.

Parade organizer Nelson Matias Pereira said this year?s participants are appealing for a ?world where racism, sexism and homophobia, in all their forms, no longer exist.?

Trucks blasting disco and electronic music rolled through the streets, followed by marchers carrying banners with slogans such as ?Dignity for All,? and ?All Forms of Love Bring Us Closer to God.?

?There is no question the prejudice we have suffered for years has diminished a lot,? said one marcher, mechanic Sebastiao Pereira Rodrigues, who was wearing black leather shorts and a tight purple T-shirt.

?But it?s still there and we still a long way to go,? he said.

?VADE RETRO HOMOS?

One million anti-gay evangelicals march in Brazil

■ An estimated one million evangelical Christians have marched in Sao Paulo, Brazil to protest against homosexuality ahead of what is billed to be the world?s largest gay pride parade. Pastor Andre Fabiano shouted over truck-mounted loudspeakers: ?Vade retro, Satanism! Vade retro, homosexuality!? ? Get back, Satanism! Get back, homosexuality!? ? paraphrasing Medieval Latin exorcism amulets. Seventeen flatbed trucks carried musical bands performing live for the marchers as they snaked through the streets of Brazil?s financial capital. Police estimated the number of marchers at more than one million. The March for Jesus, organized by evangelical churches, came ahead of the weekend?s annual gay pride parade. In 2006, some 2.8 million participated in the parade.

At this year?s event, billed as a march against racism, homophobia and male chauvinism, organisers say they had expected even more protesters.