One of the biggest gay rights marches in Latin America has taken place in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo.

Police said that around 400,000 people had taken part in the annual gay pride march, headed by the city's mayor, the left-wing sexologist, Marta Suplicy.

Addressing the crowd at the start of the march, Miss Suplicy said she was proud to be the mayor of a city that was the gay capital of Latin America.

The marchers drew encouragement from recent gestures of support by the Brazilian president, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, who has expressed his backing for a draft law that would legalise same-sex marriages.

He has also been photographed holding aloft the rainbow flag of the gay movement.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service