Thousands of people turned out for gay pride celebrations around the world Saturday, including a boisterous party in the Mexican capital.

Rainbow flags and umbrellas swayed and music pounded as the march along Paseo de la Reforma got underway, with couples, families and activists seeking to raise visibility for sexual diversity in a country still plagued by macho attitudes.

Same-sex civil unions have been legal in Mexico City since 2007, and gay marriage since 2009. A handful of Mexican states have also legalized same-sex unions, which are supposed to be recognized nationwide.

Pride participants said Mexico has a long way to go in becoming a more tolerant and accepting place for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals.

"There's a lot of machismo, a lot of ignorance still," said Monica Nochebuena, who identifies as bisexual.

Nochebuena attended the Mexico City march for the first time with her mother and sister on Saturday, wearing a shirt that said: "My mama already knows." Her mother's shirt read: "My daughter already told me."

Nochebuena, 28, said she views the pride display as a way to educate others so that "they don't see us as a threat because we prefer other things."

Human rights activist Jose Luis Gutierrez, 43, said the march is about visibility, and rights, especially for Mexico's vulnerable transgender population. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights says that poverty, exclusion and violence reduce life expectancy for trans women in the Americas to 35 years.

Other LGBTQ celebrations took place from India to Europe, with more events planned for Sunday in New York and elsewhere around the globe.

In the North Macedonian capital of Skopje, U.S. Charge d'Affaires Micaela Schweitzer-Bluhm attended.