 | This article needs to be updated.(January 2019) |
Brazil Without Homophobia (BWH) or Programa Brasil Sem Homophobia is an initiative launched in 2004 by the Special Secretariat for Human Rights meant to tackle homophobia through public policy.
| This article needs to be updated.(January 2019) |
Brazil Without Homophobia (BWH) or Programa Brasil Sem Homophobia is an initiative launched in 2004 by the Special Secretariat for Human Rights meant to tackle homophobia through public policy.
The federal government, through different ministries, works with non-governmental civil society organizations to combat violence and discrimination, promote rights and promote citizenship for the LGBT population. In 1928, sex ed became mandatory due to the concern of safe sex, and being gay. Up until the 19th century, one could serve jail time for being homosexual, and it was still considered a mental illness until 1985. [1] It was not until 2013 that same-sex marriage was legalized, [2] and up until 1997, sex-change surgery was illegal, and doctors would be charged with malpractice. [3]
The 1988 Constitution of the Brazil was created on October 5, 1988. This document addressed women's rights and minority rights. The structure of the constitution puts a large amount of focus on human rights, which paved the way for future legislature that involved specifically LGBT rights. [3]
National conferences to promote unity between the state and the people were held in 2008 and 2011. The main goals are to:
The program operates under the following principles:
The program has been critiqued for not being as sustainable and conducive of large-scale social change due to lack of funding and focus on locality. In general, Brazil's federal system gives the Ministry of Education less power when it comes to curriculum, and more power when it comes to creating policies concerning guidelines and directions. Growing conservatism from religious organizations in opposition to Brazil without Homophobia has also been a challenge. Evangelical Congressional groups called for the suspension of distribution of educational materials for its sexual diversity programs. These programs were in partnership with the Global Alliance for LGBT Education (GALE) and two non-governmental organizations, Pathfinder and Bra. President Rousseff cancelled the distribution on television, taking heat for her choice. Activists began supporting the Workers' Party’s development of LGBT rights. Conservatism was a key reason that the Ministries of Health Education did not install condom dispensers in secondary schools with sexual diversity even though the technical staff had approved it, although the technical staff approved an HIV prevention campaign targeting gay men in the 2012 Carnival: the campaign was cancelled.
From these conferences held in 2008 and 2011 came the First National Conference of Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals, travestis, and Transsexuals, which was held in June of 2008. In 2009, the Inter-Ministerial Technical Commission created the National Plan for the Promotion of LGBT Citizenship and Human Rights in order to battle stereotypes and discrimination on the basis of gender or sexuality, and to start writing policies to encourage human rights, and discourage homophobia. The Special Secretariat for Human Rights helped with the creation of human rights referral centers, which prevent and combat violence caused by homophobia and provides aid to victims. [3]
The Brazilian Ministry of Education's efforts to address discrimination and violence in the public school system began in the mid-1990s with initiatives at the state and municipal level. In December of 1996, Brazil instituted a National Curriculum. The curriculum was made to create inclusive environments, and made sex ed mandatory in schools. The ministry worked to eliminate homophobia by trying to implement workshops and classes for state school teachers about preventing homophobia and respecting sexual diversity as a part of this curriculum.
The Brazilian Ministry of Education implements educational policies stemming from Brazil without Homophobia during national conferences, birthing the “School without Homophobia” program in 2008, which was signed by the National Education Development Fund. They provide subsidies to teachers with pedagogical material in order to address the issues of homophobia within the school system. In part of the effort, The Brazilian Ministry of Education funded a nationwide study that found various acts of homophobic violence and humiliation in 501 public schools. This violence and humiliation explains why travesties in high school often feel excluded and struggle with attendance. [5]
Heterosexism is a system of attitudes, bias, and discrimination in favor of heterosexuality and heterosexual relationships. According to Elizabeth Cramer, it can include the belief that all people are or should be heterosexual and that heterosexual relationships are the only norm and therefore superior.
Egale Canada is an advocacy organization founded in 1986 by Les McAfee to advance equality for Canadian lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people and their families, across Canada.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Chad face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Both male and female forms of same-sex sexual activity are illegal in the country. Before the new penal code took effect in August 2017, homosexual activity between adults had never been criminalised. There is no legal protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Romania may face legal challenges and discrimination not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Attitudes in Romania are generally conservative, with regard to the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender citizens. Nevertheless, the country has made significant changes in LGBT rights legislation since 2000. In the past two decades, it fully decriminalised homosexuality, introduced and enforced wide-ranging anti-discrimination laws, equalised the age of consent and introduced laws against homophobic hate crimes. Furthermore, LGBT communities have become more visible in recent years, as a result of events such as Bucharest's annual pride parade and Cluj-Napoca's Gay Film Nights festival.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in Brazil rank among the highest in the world. Same-sex couples in Brazil have enjoyed the same rights guaranteed to heterosexual ones since 16 May 2013, including marriage and adoption. On June 13, 2019, the Brazilian Supreme Court ruled that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity is a crime akin to racism.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Cambodia face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Although same-sex sexual activity is legal in Cambodia, it provides no anti-discrimination protections for LGBT people, nor does it prohibit hate crimes based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in Cuba have significantly varied throughout modern history. Cuba is now considered generally progressive, with vast improvements in the 21st century for such rights. Following the 2022 Cuban Family Code referendum, there is legal recognition of the right to marriage, unions between people of the same sex, same-sex adoption and non-commercial surrogacy as part of one of the most progressive Family Codes in Latin America. Until the 1990s, the LGBT community was marginalized on the basis of heteronormativity, traditional gender roles, politics and strict criteria for moralism. It was not until the 21st century that the attitudes and acceptance towards LGBT people changed to be more tolerant.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in Cyprus have evolved in recent years, but LGBT people still face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Both male and female expressions of same-sex sexual activity were decriminalised in 1998, and civil unions which grant several of the rights and benefits of marriage have been legal since December 2015. Conversion therapy was banned in Cyprus in May 2023. However, adoption rights in Cyprus are reserved for heterosexual couples only.
The International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) is observed on May 17 and aims to coordinate international events that raise awareness of LGBT rights violations and stimulate interest in LGBT rights work worldwide. By 2016 the commemorations had taken place in over 130 countries.
Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who identify or are perceived as being lesbian, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred or antipathy, may be based on irrational fear and may sometimes be related to religious beliefs.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Albania face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents, although LGBT people are protected under comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation. Both male and female same-gender sexual activities have been legal in Albania since 1995, but households headed by same-sex couples are not eligible for the same legal protections available to opposite-gender couples, with same-sex unions not being recognized in the country in any form.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, non-binary and otherwise queer, non-cisgender, non-heterosexual citizens of El Salvador face considerable legal and social challenges not experienced by fellow heterosexual, cisgender Salvadorans. While same-sex sexual activity between all genders is legal in the country, same-sex marriage is not recognized; thus, same-sex couples—and households headed by same-sex couples—are not eligible for the same legal benefits provided to heterosexual married couples.
Discussions of LGBT rights at the United Nations have included resolutions and joint statements in the United Nations General Assembly and the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), attention to the expert-led human rights mechanisms, as well as by the UN Agencies.
This article is intended to give an overview of the history of LGBT rights in Brazil.
Historically speaking, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people have not been given equal treatment and rights by both governmental actions and society's general opinion. Much of the intolerance for LGBT individuals come from lack of education around the LGBT community, and contributes to the stigma that results in same-sex marriage being legal in few countries (31) and persistence of discrimination, such as in the workplace.
The right to sexuality incorporates the right to express one's sexuality and to be free from discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation. Specifically, it relates to the human rights of people of diverse sexual orientations, including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, and the protection of those rights, although it is equally applicable to heterosexuality. The right to sexuality and freedom from discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation is based on the universality of human rights and the inalienable nature of rights belonging to every person by virtue of being human.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights are liberal in Bahia. Homosexuality and same-sex marriage are legal in the state.
The following outline offers an overview and guide to LGBT topics.
Education sector responses to LGBT violence addresses the ways in which education systems work to create safe learning environments for LGBT students. Overall, education sector responses tend to focus on homophobia and violence linked to sexual orientation and gender identity/expression, and less on transphobia. Most responses focus in some way on diverse expressions of gender and support students to understand that gender may be expressed in a different way from binary models. Responses vary greatly in their scope ; duration ; and level of support that they enjoy.
Liberal homophobia is the acceptance of homosexuality as long as it remains hidden. It is a type of homophobia in which, despite acceptance of sexual diversity, prejudices and stereotypes that marginalize or underestimate LGBT people are perpetuated.