According to the France-Presse (AFP), during the procession where participants waved rainbow flags and wore flower garlands, some demonstrators displayed placards criticizing the party of Marine Le Pen, Rassemblement National (RN). Among the messages could be read phrases such as 'These fascists annoy me' or 'Less RN, more lesbians.'
Alexandre Schon, co-president of Inter-LGBT, which unites about fifty associations and organized the march in Paris before the parade began, stated: 'In the fight and now in the elections, citizens!'
Participant Aurelie Ferru noted that 'anger must turn into victory, as hate speech and discrimination against transgender people, gay couples, and sex workers are increasing.' She emphasized that even as a heterosexual, she wanted to express support for the LGBT+ community.
Similarly, Celestine Roby expressed a wish for 'LGBT people to know that they are not alone' and can count on people who 'are not subject to discrimination.'
Anaïs Perrin-Pervel, president of OUTrans, an association for the protection of transgender people, told AFP: 'It is important to be visible before a period that will be difficult for us, with the far-right in France, but also in Germany, England, Spain, and Portugal—countries that share the common goal of attacking transgender people to essentialize women.'
Various left-wing political figures were also present at the march, including the Mayor of Paris, socialist Emmanuel Grégoire, Green Party deputy from the capital Sandrine Rousseau, and representatives of La France Insoumise (LFI, radical left party), including its presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
LGBT+ marches are organized by local associations across France, usually in June, in connection with the Stonewall riots—a key event for the LGBT+ movement that took place overnight from June 27 to 28, 1969, in New York.
This year's march was postponed to October due to a heatwave, as France reached temperatures close to 40°C in June. Last year, the Paris parade attracted 500,000 participants according to organizers, while the police estimated the crowd at less than 100,000 people.