Gay Pride takes place for first time in southern Ticino canton

The annual Gay Pride parade organized by Swiss LGBT groups is taking place for the first time in Lugano, in the southern, Italian speaking canton of Ticino.  There is no particular political message this year, since "the time is not right", according to the organizers.  At the end of the parade, the participants are to be welcomed by Swiss foreign affairs minister Ignazio Cassis, who hails from Ticino, and mayor of Lugano Marco Borradori. Organizers said they were expecting between 6,000 and 10,000 participants. The parade provoked protest from some conservative catholics, but they did not obtain permission to hold a counter-demonstration. The event, which draws gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans-gender people from all over Switzerland, took place last year in Bern.