On the day chosen as the day to fight against homophobia, LGBT+ organizations are calling attention to the need for greater representation of this population in power, especially in the face of this year’s elections, when state and federal parliaments will be revamped. . It is estimated that while candidates gained momentum in the last elections, they still face obstacles in 2020, leaving a representative segment of Brazilian society beyond the reach of decision-making.

On May 17, 1990, the World Health Organization (WHO) removed homosexuality from the international list of diseases according to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. Thus, this date became the International Day Against Homophobia.

For #VoteLGBT member Guilherme Mohallem, this date marks the international alliance’s struggle to raise awareness of issues related to the LGBT+ community. The organization aims to increase LGBT+ representation in all areas, especially in politics. “A population that, like blacks and women, is excluded from participating in political life because the rules are made so that we cannot participate. There is a problem of party funding. And there is the problem of political violence when a person is elected,” Mohallem said. Brazilian agency.

Representation in elections

One climb conducted by the organization shows that in the 2020 elections, the campaign identified 556 LGBT+ candidates, of which 97 were elected, representing 17% of the total. It is worth remembering that Electoral Justice does not collect data on the sexual orientation of candidates, which makes it difficult to conduct a deeper study.

The survey also shows that LGBT candidates receive, on average, only 2% of Brazilian political parties’ candidacy spending ceiling in cities with more than 500,000 inhabitants. In the smaller ones, parties allocate an average of 6% of the budget for these candidates. The survey points to the political innovations represented by LGBT+ people, and at the same time to the obstacles faced in society and within subtitles.

“In the last elections, we saw the electoral success of LGBT candidates. We have had a record number of candidates and elected officials, but all these victories are built in the context of great struggle and, often, in spite of political parties. Applications are still underfunded. Without financial support, they still suffer from a real chance of a dispute in many cities across the country. We are everywhere, but we are isolated,” said researcher and #VoteLGBT member Evora Cardoso.

For these elections, #VoteLGBT has created a platform for mapping the candidacies of the population.

This view is shared by LGBTI Alliance Communications Coordinator Gregory Rodriguez, who also works to promote and protect the human rights and citizenship of the LGBTI+ community. Among the actions of the Alliance there is also one aimed at encouraging an increase in the number of LGBTI candidates in places of political decision-making.

“The LGBTI population cannot simply be a population used as a platform for allied candidatures. In addition to allied people, we need to occupy these spaces. We need to be seen for our qualities,” he said.

Aliança is coordinating the Voto Com Pride program launched in partnership with Grupo Arco-Íris de Cidadania LGBTI+ from Rio de Janeiro and Grupo Dignidade from Parana, which, in addition to a platform to match these candidates, also wants to offer training to potential candidates.

So far, 74 LGBTI+ candidates and people close to them have been registered. Most in the state of São Paulo (11). Then comes Minas (10). In the states of Rio de Janeiro and Santa Catarina (9). This is followed by the State of Goiás with seven provisional candidates and Bahia with four. Of the 74 preliminary candidates, 52 are federal candidates, 21 state representatives, and one district representative.

“We need to know how many of us there are, and since there are few of us, these practical formations serve to encourage these people, find ways to support these preliminary candidates so that they become effective candidates and receive effective party support. All this in order to be able to increase the representativeness of this invisible class in our political scenario,” he said.

Justice

According to Rodriguez, some of the advances on the LGBTI agenda have come through litigation, with little to no parliamentary play on the issue. The most significant recent decision was made by the Federal Supreme Court (STF) on June 13, 2019, when it recognized LGBT phobia as a crime of racism.

LGBTphobia is a term used to refer to all forms of violence against LGBTI+ people where the main motivation is their gender identity and/or sexual orientation. At the same time, the court also pointed to the delay of the National Congress in drafting a law on this issue.

“In the current scenario, we cannot talk about achievements, we are fighting to avoid failures. The Brazilian judiciary is responsible for securing the rights we have today. Adoption, blood donation, gay marriage, criminalization of LGBT phobia. And this is thanks to the inertia of the parliament,” said Rodriguez.

Mohallem recalls that since a significant part of the rights were obtained in the judiciary, they may be limited due to changes in the agreements signed by the courts, and that the presence of LGBTI + in politics further ensures the diversity of representation in Parliament to achieve the creation of laws aimed at this audience.

“If we are present in the debate on the construction of these laws, we can not only create laws for the specific needs of this population, but also include them in laws that are already being passed, but which simply ignore our existence,” he said. said.