While QAnon was losing it’s fucking mind over a video of a girl dancing…
So a fascist got elected as Brazil’s president late in 2018 and just got into office. On his first fuckin’ day, Jair Bolsonaro stripped the nation’s LGBTQIA+ community of its rights. According to the Associated Press, Bolsonaro signed an executive order removing the queer community and other targeted minority groups from consideration by the country’s human rights minister, who was described as being “terribly Christian.”
A lot of folks are most likely going to have the urge to point at Bolsonaro when he starts really ramping shit up and saying, “Now THAT’S a fascist! Trump’s practically philanthropic in comparison!” I just want those folks to remember that Bolsonaro has been involved in Brazilian politics for a good long while. He’s still a fuckstick, but he’s a fuckstick with a better grasp at the political trappings he’s surrounded by. Trump jumped in ass-first, and the literal only thing stopping him from going full Mussolini is a) his inexperience and b) the fact that he’s the poster child for Dunning-Krueger.
Back to more pressing matters. Our queer siblings in Brazil are going to need help and very soon. I haven’t seen any large scale LGBT org in the US say anything about any initiatives they’re planning, but I don’t think we have time to wait to hear from them. If you’re involved in your community, start talking with them, make preparations to provide support and aid. Start scanning the internet for word from any one of Brazil’s over 300 queer orgs. We shouldn’t have to be asked — we should be ready.
And. Don’t expect the US government to intervene if Brazil starts doing worse shit to queer people. The cavalry will not come. We have to be enough.