Cyprus has held its first Greek Cypriot gay pride parade, 16 years after homosexuality was decriminalised on the Mediterranean island.
The march left the capital's Eleftheria Square at around 6 pm (1am AEST), with hundreds of waving and cheering people, despite opposition from the influential Orthodox Church which views non-heterosexual relations as sinful.
Police escorted the marchers, which included staff of embassies sponsoring the event.
The parade headed for a park behind parliament, where Organisers Accept-LGBTI promised "a super-fun, celebratory party full of surprises".
But spokeswoman Joanna Constantinuou said it was better the parade took "the form of a march for our rights than another Mardi Gras," a reference to the annual carnival in the American city of New Orleans.
Earlier, a group called the Cyprus Christian Orthodox Movement held a counter-demonstration not far from where the march began.
Police kept the protesters, who included priests and monks, several hundred metres away without trouble.
Yanos Petrou, an organiser of the rival event, said "we don't have a problem with the persons but they want too much; they shouldn't show those things" in public, referring to public displays of their homosexuality.
The influential Church of Cyprus has also reacted negatively to gays taking to the streets, saying it "regretted the behaviour and lifestyle of some of our fellow men".
Last week, British actor Stephen Fry, in comments to the Cyprus Daily, called for a widespread show of support from the Cypriot public.
"I invite the Church of Cyprus to join the civilised and educated and loving world, including Christian faiths... to recognise the natural, unthreatening nature of homosexuality," said Fry, who is openly homosexual.
The Cyprus government has promised a bill legalising homosexual civil partnerships, but it has yet to be submitted to parliament.
Share
