Brazilian based Faith Organizations and Christian Aid addressing LGBT rights

Brazil: LGBT rights and Faith Based Organisations commitment

Inequality in Brazil is rooted in the exclusion of millions due to racial and ethnical dimension, gender and social class. In this context Sexualities can undermine the development preventing people to access their rights.  The LGBT population is marginalized from health services, education, and labour market as they suffer prejudice from people and institutions.  According to recent study Violence and Inequality, commissioned by CA to the partner SOF, in Brazil there are 60,000 thousand couples self-declared as a same sex partners. Nevertheless the increasing violence exposes the inequality and prejudice against the LGBT population which takes places in public areas and is perpetrated by neighbours or anonymous people.

Gender inequality is at the heart of the rooted inequality in Brazilian Society and to overcome it is necessary not only to change norms and prejudice but also the economic, political and social power that reinforce exclusion.

The Partner SADD (Anglican Service for Diakonia and Development), from the Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil, is working on the theological reflection about sexual diversity and engaging faith communities to advocate for the LGBT rights. The dioceses all over the country are taking part in this process promoting open dialogue and challenging social norms. On the last 13^th May they launched the publication “Gender, Sexualities and Rights” with Biblical and theological reflections to be shared in local communities and support the discussions within the Church and externally. 

“We have to consider the law above all others, which is the law of love; the Church has to improve its understanding on gender and sexualities. The church has been on this journey for quite a while but there is still a long way ahead.” declared the Archbishop of the Episcopal Church in Brazil D. Francisco de Assis.

The commitment of FBOs with Gender Justice for all was also seen during the Pride Parade in São Paulo in the last 29^th May. The ecumenical organization, Koinonia led a group of Evangelicals, Catholic and people from other faith joined that marched against the prejudice against LGBT population. The Pride Parade is the most important event in the city calendar and takes place since 1997 gathering more than 3 million people in the most famous avenue in the city. Koinonia is working in partnership with the Municipality of São Paulo to implement a project offering support to transgender people to access labour market. 

Christian Aid works in Brazil along with grassroots partners, social movements, local NGOs and FBOs expose the scandal of inequality advocating for an inclusive development and to promoting fair policies. For more information please get in contact with Sara Roure or Paulo Barasioli.