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Dominican Republic pride parade demands protection of LGBTQ+ community

Santo Domingo, Aug 29 (EFE).- The Dominican Republic on Sunday celebrated its annual pride parade, which this year showed its opposition to a proposed law that could leave out protections for the LGBTQ+ community.The parade brought together hundreds of people who drove the main avenues of Santo Domingo in private cars, SUVs and open-top trucks, waving rainbow flags to music. (Camera: MANUEL PÉREZ).SHOT LIST: PEOPLE FROM LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY DRIVE THE MAIN AVENUES OF SANTO DOMINGO IN CARS, TRUCK, IN SANTO DOMINGO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. SOUND BITES: DOMINICAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST, LEONARDO SÁNCHEZ; DOMINICAN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF DOMINICAN DIVERSITY, ROSANA MARSÁN AND KING OF PRIDE 2021, ESTARLIN AGUASVIVAS (IN SPANISH).TRANSLATIONS:1. LEONARDO SÁNCHEZ, DOMINICAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST.- The Penal Code not only threatens the LGBTI community, but it can also become dangerous for the development of the country. Because it can put our country back in medieval times. It is a law that conservatism wants to impose on us, a law that is not in accordance with the moral of times we are living in now.2. ROSANA MARSÁN, DOMINICAN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF DOMINICAN DIVERSITY.- If the Penal Code is approved without criminalizing discrimination based on sexual orientation, it will legalize what is currently happening in the country, which is the violence and discrimination that we suffer every day.3. ESTARLIN AGUASVIVAS, KING OF PRIDE 2021.-Recently in a survey, 97% of the (people in our) community suffered from violence at some point. What we can say from this (the survey) is that our community has been alienated, stigmatized and discriminated and it is necessary for that to change. The world has changed and we cannot be left behind. We have to keep improving.