Homosexual agenda in Brazil suffers defeats

by Luiz Castro | September 13, 2008 at 10:27 am | 381 views | 5 comments | 34 recommendations

Alerta: Some Brazilian states and municipalities are steping back in gay rights in Brazil.

Low camera is also appling restrictions on gay adoption. Yellow light to Brazil.

Despite the official support of President Luiz Lula da Silva, the homosexual movement in Brazil has suffered serious defeats in recent weeks in two cities in the state of Rio de Janeiro as well as the national Chamber of Deputies, Brazil's lower legislative house.

The first occurred on August 10, when Dr. Zenobio Fonesca, a candidate for the Niteroi city council, won a suit against a law providing pensions for "partners" of homosexual city employees. Citing articles from the federal and state constitutions, Dr. Fonesca said that marriage was a union between people of the opposite sex, and therefore, any other relationship could not be granted benefits. He also declared, "I think that homosexuality cannot be awarded benefits, because we are talking about personal behavior and not anything inherent in human nature."

On August 21, just five days after Gay Pride Week - which was approved under heavy pressure from the government, activists, and media - city council representatives in Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro voted to revoke Law 6.508/08, which established Gay Pride Week in the city, an action that was denounced by homosexual activists and the newspaper O Globo.

The same day, the homosexualist agenda suffered a major defeat at the national level in the Chamber of deputies, when the Chamber voted on the National Adoption Law. Despite direct pressure from the Special Secretary for Human Rights, which is directly linked to President Lula, Catholic and Evangelical deputies managed to remove the expression "homosexual couple" from the bill. The expression would have made it possible for homosexual couples to adopt children.

Such opposition is a reminder that, despite enthusiastic support from Brazil's President Luiz Lula da Silva, large segments of Brazilian society are opposed to the homosexual political agenda.

Although there are very few opinion polls available regarding Brazilian public opinion and homosexuality, a strong majority of over 60 percent of respondents to a 2005 poll said they opposed civil unions for homosexuals, and only 32 percent supported them.

"Serious defeats"? I must disagree with that editorial comment.

I'd must take exception to your referal to "the homosexualist agenda". Despite some apparent beliefs, there is not a 'queer club' that people get to join and then they have a shopping list of things they want.

The Camera (lower house of Congress) did NOT apply any new restrictions on adoption, what happened was that a new adoption law was passed, and because of some objections to the inclusion of a specific reference allowing homosexuals to adopt from a small group of conservative Catholic and Evangelical Congressmen, that reference was left out and will be addressed in the future. What you failed to mention is that the old law did not even address homosexual's being able to adopt. Thus the new law is not a 'defeat', it maintains the status-quo. I'd also point out that homosexuals have in fact been allowed to adopt children in Brazil through judicial court order. They are also allowed to form and register stable unions, and foreign partners of same-sex unions are allowed to apply for a permanent visa. Homophobia is a crime in Brazil.

The lawsuit in Niteroi was just one step in a multi-step process, and there will undoubtedly be more decisions on the matter forthcoming.

I do not have any information on the situation in Petropolis, although I do think it's fair to point out that Brazil is in the midst of election season here, and that especially in Rio de Janiero State, Evangelicals are very politically active and seemingly not shy about putting their religious beliefs into action. Other parts of Brazil don't always follow suit, but like in the USA, hot button issues often get extra attention.

Can you give the source for the opinion poll you quoted? I also think it is fair to point out that the largest Gay Pride Parade in the world is held in São Paulo, with over 3 million people in attendence. While indeed Brazil has a long ways to go towards full acceptance, it has in fact made large strides, especially for a country with strong Church and machisimo traditions.

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