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About Quito
Quito's Marcha del Orgullo is one of the oldest Pride marches in Ecuador. It began modestly: just one year after Ecuador removed homosexuality from its criminal code, around twenty people walked through the capital. The first march was organised by the Fedaeps foundation together with a national network of lesbian, gay and trans groups. It set off from Parque El Arbolito and crossed the historic centre.
Later the Fundación Equidad took over the organisation, and the march kept growing. A few hundred participants became thousands, then tens of thousands; one of the more recent editions drew around 25,000 people. The route changed with the size. For several years the march ran through the La Mariscal district and ended at Plaza Foch, briefly returned to the historic centre and eventually settled in the north of the city around Parque La Carolina.
Today Quito has two marches. After internal disagreements the organising groups split: Orgullo Quito holds one march on a Saturday in June, and the Orgullofff collective holds another a week later. Orgullo Quito most recently gathered at the Plataforma Gubernamental Norte and marched north along Avenida Río Amazonas to the events grounds at Parque Bicentenario, followed by a free concert with Ecuadorian artists. The organisers asked participants to keep the march peaceful, avoid confrontation and look out for each other.
If you want to join, follow the current announcements of both groups, since the date, meeting point and route are set anew each year. Quito sits at about 2,800 metres, and the organisers recommend comfortable shoes, sun protection and rain gear, as the weather can turn within an hour. The march remains both a street celebration and a political demonstration for equal rights and against violence and discrimination.
Quito Pride – frequently asked questions
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