In the electrifying country of Brazil—known for futebol, Carnival, and beautiful women—something nasty is stirring up. My initial understanding of the country’s relations with gay rights was quite positive. Rio de Janeiro – Brazil’s capital, second largest city, and “gayest” metropolis – has a population of just over 6.3 million people, 14.3% of which are “out” gay members.1,2 This means the country has 900,900 reported homosexuals in Rio alone; three times that of New York City at 272,493!3 Brazil offers basic rights to homosexuals, including the permission of homoerotic acts between consenting adults, the granting of same-sex civil unions and health benefits, and the ability of same-sex parents to adopt children.4 Moreover, Brazilians can legally change their gender, surgically modify their biological sex, serve openly in the military, hold gay rights parades, and even donate blood after twelve months of sexual abstinence.5 Did I mention Brazil is also well known for shooting gay porn? In comparison to many countries, including the United States, Brazil appears to afford generous amounts of protection to its gay population.
However, it seems I have been deceived. While Skyping with a good friend of mine who has lived in Brazil his entire life, I found out just how short-sighted I am. He commented about how Brazil offers gays so many rights yet so much unreported hate still exists, tormenting LGBTs in the area. He explained how Rio’s safe haven marketing is deceiving and the more rural areas of Brazil and even smaller urban hubs breed homophobia. He recounted personal experiences of being called a bicha at the nightclubs (the equivalent of the English word “faggot”) and other gruesome reports of his friends being mutilated.
As he attempted to convince me that the situation is much grimmer than publicity makes it seem, I was frantically searching the web for an answer, or for some type of intervention. Sure enough, Brazil floods the Internet with the superficial impression I had: articles about gay rights improvements in Brazil, followed by advertisements for gay nightclubs, hotels, and tourist hotspots.6 There are even TV commercials on YouTube intended to reduce risk for HIV transmission amongst gay men through condom usage.7 Through deeper research, however, the superficiality dissolves into a harsh reality.
Brazil remains the country with the highest number of violent crimes committed annually against gays.8 Regardless of things such as anti-hate laws, there have been approximately 3,196 deaths over the 30-year period of 1980 to 2009, averaging at about 190 per year.9 This translates to roughly one gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender individual killed every two days. Even without the consequence of death, 65% of out gay Brazilian males say that they have been a victim of hate speech and/or suffered some sort of physical aggression in their lifetime.10 These estimations are collected solely from reported felonies and, since homosexuality is highly negatively stigmatized by right-wing Christian groups, the statistics are therefore surely underestimations.11 It is important to note that a significant number of the crimes committed against gays are perpetrated by authorities such as police officers and therefore go unreported.12 Most of the crimes against lesbians fail to be counted as hate crimes against homosexuals because they are generally in the form of rape and are filed as such.13
From the perspective of American web searches, Brazil expresses acceptance and concern for the gays. On the micro scale, however, there are testimonies that expose Brazil’s allowance of violent behaviors. This showcase is both misleading and obstructive to public health efforts. Regardless of Brazil’s assertions that it has taken steps toward controlling the hate, the fact remains that on a personal level the problem has not yet diminished. It is time to end the lies and curtail the violence.
Works Cited
1In, Andy. “Population of Brazil 2012.” World Population Review. 2012. Available at: http://worldpopulationreview.com/population-of-brazil-2012/
2Brandão, Pablo. “Rio de Janeiro é a capital com mais gays e Manaus com mais lésbicas.” Mosaico.17 July 2011. Available at: http://blogdopablobrandao.blogspot.com/2011/07/rio-de-janeiro-e-capital-com-mais-gays.html
3Gates, Gary J. “Same-sex Couples and the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Population: New Estimates from the American Community Survey.” The Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy, UCLA School of Law, October, 2006. Available at: http://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/Gates-Same-Sex-Couples-GLB-Pop-ACS-Oct-2006.pdf
4“Brazilian judge gives male couple approval for what court says is country’s first gay marriage.” The Washington Post. 27 June 2011. Available at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/americas/brazil-judge-approves-what-appears-to-be-countrys-first-gay-marriage-between-2-men/2011/06/27/AGYN2znH_story.html
5Andrade, Claudia. “Plano do governo defende adoção e direitos civis para casais homossexuais.” UOL. 14 May 2009. Available at: http://noticias.uol.com.br/politica/2009/05/14/ult5773u1188.jhtm
6Google Search: “LGBT Brazil.” 25 March 2011.
7“Brazil, Health Ministry gay commercial” YouTube. Uploaded 26 Feb. 2008. Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkBBgh6z4jI
8de Almeida, Vagner. Sexualidade e Crimes de Ódio. CreateSpace. Documentary: 2008.
9“Assassinatos de Homossexuais do Brasil.” Grupo Gay da Bahia. 2004.
10“Interview at the São Paulo Gay Pride Parade.” Latin American Center of Human Rights (CLAM). 2005
11“Um vermelho-e-azul para dissecar uma noticia. Ou como le ruma farsa estatistica. Ou ainda: todo brasileiro merece ser gay.” Veja. 2009. Available at: http://veja.abril.com.br/blog/reinaldo/geral/um-vermelho-e-azul-para-dissecar-uma-noticia-ou-como-ler-uma-farsa-estatistica-ou-ainda-todo-brasileiro-merece-ser/
12 “Violação dos direitos humanos dos gays, lésbicas, transvesti e transexuais no Brasil.” Grupo Gay da Bahia.2004.
13Ibid.
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