“We are united in the demand of respect for our rights, and united in a call for justice for the 15 members of our community who were murdered over the past year,” said Joaquin Caceres one of the leaders of a gay rights group in El Salvador.

In neighboring Guatemala, hundreds of marchers from the gay community marched in downtown of Guatemala City, demanding equal rights and an end to discrimination.

Some protesters carried rainbow banners as well as the flag of Guatemala. Others carried signs, some in English, with slogans such as “Love is not a crime” and “Sorry girls I like boys.”