LGBT VIOLENCE IN BRAZIL

The Problem The Government The Activists The Victims Outside Brazil Works Cited


  • THE VIOLENCE

    BEHIND CARNIVAL

    In Brazil and other parts of the world, religious beliefs

    cause people to treat LGBT individuals in a disrespectful

    and inconsiderate manner.

     


     

     

     

     

     

    JIEXIN CHING — A1 WH RATNER  — 868 WORDS

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    Carnival is an annual Brazillian festival that is hosted to mark the beginning of Lent. Parades, parties, concerts, and circus acts are some of the many events that take place during the festival. Although it isn't Sao Paulo's LGBT+ Pride Parade, it's still gay-friendly, and each year, the majority of hotel reservations are made by LGBT+ tourists. However, in recent months, Brazil's President Bolsonaro, an evangelical Christian, has expressed his unease towards the nature of Carnival and disgust towards LGBT individuals. His position in office has created an environment where it's acceptable to disrespect and be violent towards these individuals.

     

    In Brazil and other parts of the world, religious beliefs cause people to treat LGBT individuals in a disrespectful and inconsiderate manner.

     

     

     

     

  • THE PROBLEM

    In an article published by The Washington Post, in the past ten years, same-sex marriage and transgender name changes became legal in Brazil. It was a big accomplishment for Brazil’s LGBT community. However, in 2017, Brazil’s citizens had grown more conservative. Evangelicalism had risen by 15%. A third of the country was now evangelical, which led to a decline in LGBT rights. According to Andrew Jacobs of the New York Times, Brazil’s brand of evangelical Christianity is partially responsible for all the anti-gay violence in the country.
     

    GGB, a Brazillian LGBT NGO, recorded 343 violent LGBT deaths in 2016, and about 300 in 2017.

     

    In the months of Bolsonaro’s election, homophobic hate-crime rates rose by 75%.

    Additionally, as stated by the New York Times, evangelical voters have helped send more than 60 lawmakers to the lower house of Congress. These lawmakers helped remove the rights of LGBT individuals.

    All these individuals are disrespectful and inconsiderate towards LGBT individuals because they’re blinded by their religious beliefs. Evangelical leaders are a big influence in Brazil, and if they don’t support LGBT individuals, their followers won’t either.

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    THE GOVERNMENT

    1

    Bolsonaro's Beliefs

    Bolsonaro has declared himself “homophobic, with pride”, saying that “he would rather his son die in a car crash than be gay” (The Independent).

     

    When running for president, he pledged to edit school exams to remove questions on gender and LGBT movements, and to revise school textbooks to remove mentions of feminism, homosexuality, sexism, and violence against women.

     

    He disapproves educating students to rise above traditional gender-based ideologies. He believes that it threatens Brazil’s Christian values.

    2

    Jean Wyllys' Beliefs

    Jean Wyllys is the first openly gay politician in Brazil.

     

    In an article written by him and published on PGAction, he writes: “Hate speeches against LGBT people circulate freely in politics, religion, and the media and [it] impacts people’s lives, increasing violence and hate crimes”.

     

    Ever since Bolsonaro’s election, Wyllys has been receiving death threats. This resulted in him leaving the country, saying: “This environment isn’t safe for me. I have to stay alive.”

  • THE ACTIVISTS

    broken image

    Rivania Rodrigues

    Rivania Rodrigues is a Brazillian advocate who “helped convince her state’s police to track down anti-LGBTQ homicides” (NBC News). She believes that if Bolsonaro is president, him and his evangelical party will work to rip down all the progress that the LGBT community has made. She was interviewed before Bolsonaro became president, and she was right.

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    Symmy Larrat

    Symmy Larrat, an LGBT activist, believes that LGBT individuals won’t get reasonable treatment from Bolsonaro’s administration. Previously, a branch of the human rights ministry named “Secretariat of Promotion and Defense of Human Rights” discussed LGBT concerns. One day, that branch disappeared. She doesn’t think that there will be a new government infrastructure that will handle LGBT issues.

  • THE VICTIMS

    Stories shared by victims of homophobic hate crimes


    *these stories were published in an article written by Zoe Sullivan from NBC
    *the images used below aren't the actual faces of the victims

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    Dudu Quintanilha, aged 28, was beaten by a stick by four attackers during Carnival. The police told him that he was a victim of a robbery, even though attackers shouted anti-gay epithets at him. “In the end, [the police] made me doubt whether a homophobic attack really happened. They made me doubt if I was in my right mind.”

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    Antonio Kavlos, aged 34, was tackled and kicked by two attackers. When the police arrived, they pinned him against their squad care and made him assume the pose of a suspect. “They made me feel like I was a criminal.”

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    Gilson Reis, aged 18, was chased down the street and stabbed by his cousin, who is an evangelical Christian. His cousin was arrested and charged with attempted murder, but released on bail. Both cousins live on the same street. “He passes my house and flashes me an awful expression. I have no protection. I am afraid.”

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    In Brunei, the price of being an LGBT individual is higher.

     

    According to Yvette Tan from BBC, as of 2019, Brunei introduced new Islamic laws that make gay sex and adultery offences punishable by stoning. Previously, homosexuality was already illegal in Brunei and punishable by up to 10 years in prison.” Now, it’s been amped up to a death sentence. This level of homophobia is due to the country’s dominant religion of Islam. Muslims make up about two-thirds of the country's population. “Those who "persuade, tell or encourage" Muslim children under the age of 18 "to accept the teachings of religions other than Islam" are liable to a fine or jail”.

     

    Everyone in the country is driven by their religious beliefs, with the Sultan being another devout believer. He used his power as Sultan to act on his religious beliefs, and established a law that called for the murder of LGBT individuals, which encouraged LGBT violence in the country.

     

     

     

     

  • Works Cited

    Information:

    Jacobs, Andrew. “Brazil Is Confronting an Epidemic of Anti-Gay Violence.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 21 Dec. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2016/07/06/world/americas/brazil-anti-gay-violence.html.

     

    Osborne, Samuel. “Brazil's New Far-Right Government Removing References to Feminism and Homosexuality from Textbooks.” The Independent, Independent Digital News and Media, 12 Feb. 2019, www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/brazil-jair-bolsonaro-school-textbook-feminism-homosexuality-lgbt-violence-women-a8775271.html.

     

    Sullivan, Zoe. “'We're Afraid': Advocates Say Brazil's Presidential Frontrunner a Threat to Gay Rights.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 6 Oct. 2018, www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/we-re-afraid-advocates-say-brazil-s-presidential-frontrunner-threat-n917111.

     

    Tan, Yvette. “Brunei Implements Stoning to Death under Anti-LGBT Laws.” BBC News, BBC, 3 Apr. 2019, www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-47769964.

     

    Images:

    “ABGLT Elege a Primeira Travesti Como Presidenta Da Entidade.” Pt.org.br, 16 Aug. 2017, pt.org.br/abglt-elege-a-primeira-travesti-como-presidenta-da-entidade/.

    “An LGBT+ Person Is Killed Every Day in Brazil.” Topics, 30 Jan. 2017, www.sbs.com.au/topics/sexuality/agenda/article/2017/01/30/lgbt-person-killed-every-day-brazil.

    Carvalho, Carolina. “Understanding the Differences Between the Country That Kills the Most LGBT (Brazil) and the Safest Country for LGBTs (Iceland) from a Marketing {Erspective.” Journal, 13 Mar. 2019, journal.media/understanding-the-differences-between-the-country-that-kills-the-most-lgbt-brazil-and-the-safest-country-for-lgbts-iceland-from-a-marketing-perspective.

    “Indian Lgbt Activist With Equality Demand During Queer Swabhimana Yatra 2017 Stock Photo.” IStock, www.istockphoto.com/ae/photos/transgender-community?page=19.

    “More People Are Identifying as LGBT Than Ever Before - Here's Why.” Lighthouse, 20 Nov. 2018, blog.lighthouse.lgbt/more-people-are-identifying-as-lgbt/.

    “Primeiro Arraial Da Diversidade No Recife.” Não Pague Pra Ler, 29 June 2010, glauciabruce.wordpress.com/2010/06/29/primeiro-arraial-da-diversidade-no-recife/.

    Publishing, OutThere. “Pride-Man-with-Flag-LGBT-(Credit-Jason-Lindsey)_01.” Out There Magazine | Luxury and Experiential Travel Inspiration, 14 Mar. 2019, www.outthere.travel/pride-month-in-illinois/pride-man-with-flag-lgbt-credit-jason-lindsey_01/.

    Sonne, Paul. “As Transgender Ban Looms, Pentagon Leaders Distance Themselves from LGBT Pride Events.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 11 June 2018, www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/as-transgender-ban-looms-pentagon-leaders-distance-themselves-from-lgbt-pride-events/2018/06/11/1551bc1c-6d82-11e8-9ab5-d31a80fd1a05_story.html?utm_term=.e0444da7ff88.

    “Teach in Brunei.” Teach Away, 6 Nov. 2018, www.teachaway.com/teach-in-brunei.

    “Transgender Community Mark World Aids Day Stock Photo.” IStock, www.istockphoto.com/ae/photos/transgender-community?page=19&sort=mostpopular&phrase=transgender%2Bcommunity.

    Winter, Brian. “Why Brazil's Crisis Could Get Worse.” CNN, Cable News Network, 20 Apr. 2016, www.cnn.com/2016/04/20/opinions/brazil-crisis-winter/index.html.

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