With the slogan “My identity, my right,” Mérida’s 2023 Pride march returns as the Paseo de Montejo’s biggest celebration since Carnaval paraded down the boulevard.
The march to celebrate sexual diversity kicks off at 4 p.m. Saturday, June 10, at the Monumento a la Patria. It will make its way south to reach the Plaza Grande.
An estimated 20,000 people crowded the streets for last year’s march — a combination of celebration, defiance, and post-lockdown victory parade. For updates, follow the organizing committee on Facebook.
Advances in marriage-equality laws and overall social acceptance have fueled enthusiasm for Pride marches, which occur worldwide each June.
Ahead of the march, the Diversity Queen and Mr. Gay Yucatán will be crowned on Friday, June 2, at Foxxy’s nightclub on the Periférico.
On Friday, June 9, San Lucas (St. Luke’s) Episcopal Church hosts The Pitaya Show, a drag comedy performance with a Yucatecan flair. Free entry, with donations appreciated. The church, which is LGBTQ+-affirming, will also join the marchers with its own contingent.
On Sunday, June 11, San Lucas’ morning mass will include a bilingual eucharist entirely dedicated to the LGBTQ+ community at Iglesia Episcopal San Lucas de Mérida, on the corner of calles 76 and 55 in the Santiago neighborhood.
