Brazilian authorities?said nearly 700,000 people have celebrated in a gay pride parade at Copacabana beach, the Associated Press reported.?

Brazilian authorities said nearly 700,000 people have celebrated in a gay pride parade at Copacabana beach.

Waving rainbow flags and?dressed in?lavish Carnival costumes, gay men, lesbians and cross-dressers danced and cheered to the loud music from more than 15 sound trucks in Sunday's festivities.

They called?on Brazil to enact more laws against homophobia.

Organizers had expected that nearly 1.5 million people would take part in?the 16th annual parade, but Rio de Janeiro police told local media that about 700,000 attended the parade.??