Brazil's New President Shows His Colors
Newly elected Jair Bolsonaro has taken his first swing at LGBTQ citizens.
Late last year, multiple Brazilian citizens rushed to get married before Jair Bolsonaro took to office. According to Instinct Magazine and the New York Times, there was a 66% spike in same-sex weddings in this past November. Many expected Bolsonaro to be hostile towards LGBTQ Brazilians.
After all, he had already gained the favor of US President Donald Trump. Plus, Bolsonaro also professed to be a “proud homophobe” and that he’d have a “dead son rather than a gay son.”
According to NBC News, Bolsonaro also worked with a Catholic organization called Voto Católico Brasil. Namely, the almost President signed a document promising “to defend and promote the true meaning of matrimony: the union between a man and a woman.”
It turns out, those worries came true. Just in his first day on the job, Bolsonaro showed his distaste for LGTBQ rights and issues. The Associated Press reports that Bolsonaro’s team removed all mention of LGBTQ issues from the Human Rights Ministry’s agenda.
On top of that, Damares Alves, a former evangelical pastor and the human rights minister, made a public statement in support of Bolsonaro.
“The state is lay, but this minister is terribly Christian.”
“Girls will be princesses and boys will be princes. There will be no more ideological indoctrination of children and teenagers in Brazil.”
Many LGBTQ advocates, citizens, and allies are worried about the future of LGBTQ rights in Brazil.
“The human rights ministry discussed our concerns at a body called secretariat of promotion and defense of human rights,” LGBTQ activist Symmy Larrat told the AP.
“That body just disappeared, just like that. We don’t see any signs there will be any other government infrastructure to handle LGBT issues.”
Meanwhile, Donald Trump is enjoying the show back in America.
Congratulations to President @JairBolsonaro who just made a great inauguration speech – the U.S.A. is with you!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2019
h/t: Instinct Magazine, the New York Times, NBC News
