page_title: LGBT rights in Brazil
section_title: Politics
hierarchical_section_title: LGBT rights in Brazil / Politics
caption_attribution_description: Português: O ex-presidente Lula na abertura da 1ª Conferência Nacional de Gays, Lésbicas, Bissexuais, Travestis e Transexuais.
context_page_description: Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights in Brazil are among the most advanced in Latin America and the world, with LGBT people having marriage rights available nationwide since May 2013, although LGBT people still face some social challenges.
  On May 5, 2011, the Supreme Federal Court voted in favor of granting same-sex couples the same 112 legal rights as married couples. The decision was approved by a 10–0 vote with one abstention – one justice abstained because he had spoken publicly in favor of same-sex unions when he was attorney general. The ruling gave same-sex couples in stable partnerships the same financial and social rights enjoyed by those in opposite-sex relationships. Consequently, on May 14, 2013, the Justice's National Council of Brazil legalized same-sex marriage in the entire country in a 14–1 vote by issuing a ruling that orders all civil registers of the country to perform same-sex marriages and convert any existing civil unions into marriages if the couples so desire.
context_section_description: There are many pro-LGBT political parties in Brazil; the most influential are the Socialism and Liberty Party, the Workers' Party and the Communist Party of Brazil. The most influential pro-LGBT politicians in Brazil are Marta Suplicy Smith, Eduardo Suplicy and Jean Wyllys. During the 2010 presidential elections in Brazil, all five presidential candidates were favorable to same-sex civil unions, including the elected President Dilma Rousseff.
  In 2010, there were 190 political candidates who signed the Brazilian Association of Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals and Transsexuals's "Declaration of Commitment". Those elected included 1 governor, 1 senator, 17 congressmen/congresswomen and 25 state representatives.
  The Brazilian executive power has guaranteed many rights to LGBT Brazilians, such as the same social security pension benefits that heterosexual couples receive; the creation of the federal LGBT Council; prison visitation by same-sex couples; same income tax benefits that heterosexual couples receive; federal government recognition of same-sex marriages or same-sex civil unions for immigration purposes; health benefits for same-sex couples and mandatory health plans in the country; and LGBT people have a special place in Brazilian prisons, separate from other prisoners. Transsexuals have the right to be called by social name and not by birth name and be forwarded to women's prisons. LGBT people in prisons also have the right to choose male or female clothing.
  One of the candidates for the City Council of Salvador, Bahia, the third largest city in Brazil, was Leo Kret (Republican Party (PR-BA)), a transvestite club dancer who was the most voted for of the candidates. When she took office, she defied the dress code norms insisting that her wardrobe would be strictly feminine and insisted on using the women's restroom. Leo Kret received 12,861 votes in the city in the municipal elections of 2008. On election day, she said that she will defend LGBT rights. She has aspirations to become the President of Brazil one day.
  Moacyr Sélia, a transvestite hairdresser, sought reelection as a Nova Venécia councilmember, in the north of the state of Espírito Santo, representing the Republican Party. She was already the president of the Chamber of Parliament in two occasions.
  President Jair Bolsonaro, elected to the Brazilian presidency in October 2018, has drawn controversy for his homophobic rhetoric. A  "a self-declared homophobe", Bolsonaro has said he would prefer a dead son than a gay one. On January 2, 2019, just hours after his inauguration, he removed concerns regarding the LGBT community from being considered by the Human Rights Ministry and named no other federal agency to consider such issues.
  Following the 2018 Brazilian general election, Fabiano Contarato was elected as the first openly gay federal senator and Érica Malunguinho as the first transwoman representative. On February 1, 2019, David Miranda, a black gay representative, replaced Jean Wyllys, as Wyllys announced in January 2019 that he had left the country due to death threats.
caption: Former President Lula and the LGBT flag
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