It seems like summer sets in in Madrid on International Gay Pride Day (which in 2010 will be held on July 3), when the streets in Chueca are lined with flags and garlands. The festivities, staged over a whole week, reach their height on Saturday, with the parade in favour of LGTB rights (lesbians, gays, transexuals and bisexuals), which attracts an increasing number of people from all over the world.
The whole Chueca neighbourhood, located a few metres from Gran Vía, is a good example of the tolerance and respect typical of a modern, open and cosmopolitan city. It is open to a whole range of lifestyles creating a combination that is fun and spontaneous at the very least. Therefore, these festivities are not only celebrated by the homosexual community; instead, they are a favourite among people who want to live their lives freely. The proof of the fact is that instead of calling them the “Gay Pride festivities”, we Madrilenians call them “the Pride festivities.”
As well as open-air concerts, chairs and tables out on the streets, multitudinous events and the craziness typical of Chueca nights, MADO is also a week packed with cultural and protest activities programmed as part of the MUESTRA-T festival, hosted by different art galleries, cinemas, bookshops and associations that support the cause. In all, it is festivity for all tastes, for those who want to plunge into the nocturnal frenzy, and for those who prefer to peacefully enjoy the day.
