A large crowd gathered in Paseo Colón, San José, to participate in the LGBTIQ+ Pride March 2025. It began at noon, as people marched from the statue of León Cortés, in the western sector of La Sabana, toward the central building of the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS), in the heart of the capital.
The march aimed to celebrate that members of the community are free and “not in a closet,” and to defend the rights of the LGBTIQ+ community. With rainbow flags, parades, banners, and artistic expressions, hundreds of people advanced through the main avenues of the city.
Although the government had banned minors from participating in the closing event, this did not dampen the festivities. The current administration claimed the march includes “inappropriate costumes” and “sexualized expressions or expressions of unsuitable content” for minors.
Several parents paraded with signs. One father noted that he brings his young children, so they know that love is for everyone, without distinction. “We do not believe in exclusion. We march to build safe, free, and dignified spaces for all people, and that includes children and adolescents,” said Pride Costa Rica.
There were also banners with political messages, many of them critical of President Rodrigo Chaves’ administration. Although this year it was forbidden for minors to participate in a closing event, the organization decided not to hold it. Instead, artists performed at different points along the route.
“Indeed, there is no closing event. As an organization and as a community, we are not going to lock ourselves in or place ourselves in an armored venue where we can’t be seen. So, all the shows, the artists, and everything else will take place along the entire route,” confirmed Pride Costa Rica.
The march was also joined by representatives from various sectors.There was a group representing families united for the rights of their sons and daughters, members of the Lutheran Church, the diversity section of a Costa Rican union, ANEP, and the diplomatic bloc made up of the United Nations and the Embassies of Mexico, Spain, France, and Germany, among others, participated.
Posters offering “mom hugs” and others reminding that “being who you are is not rebellion, it is resistance” were part of the landscape of a march that unfolded peacefully. One mother drew attention with a heartfelt message that she held as high as she could:
“This mom loves you with all your colors,” her sign read.
