Brazil has a new anti-trans bill per day – 03/20/2023 – Power

A legislative offensive against trans people is on the rise in Brazil. According to survey of Sheetat least 69 anti-trans bills have been presented at the federal, state or municipal levels since the beginning of this year.

Most of them were proposed after the resumption of activities in most of the country’s Legislative Houses in February — since then, more than one new anti-trans bill (bill) has been presented every day.

The number may grow in the coming weeks, inflamed by the transphobic speech by Nikolas Ferreira (PL-MG) in the plenary of the Chamber of Deputies on the last day 8.

Most of the projects are presented by parliamentarians of the PL, a legend of former president Jair Bolsonaro and Nikolas Ferreira – on the 10th, the president of the acronym, Valdemar Costa Neto, came out in defense of the deputy from Minas Gerais.

But there are also initiatives proposed by legislators from parties such as União Brasil, Republicanos, Christian Democracy and MDB.

Most of the projects seek to prohibit the so-called neutral language in schools and public administration. Lawmakers claim that neologisms such as “todes” and the neutral pronouns “elu/delu” hurt Portuguese grammar and therefore should be vetoed. Supporters of neutral language believe that its ban could lead to the stigmatization of non-binary people.

Part of it was presented after the STF (Federal Supreme Court) declared the unconstitutionality of a law of the type in the state of Rondônia on February 6th. The processing of these bills should test the willingness of lower courts to follow the understanding of the Supreme Court.

Other bills seek to prevent transgender children and adolescents from accessing medical procedures such as the use of puberty blockers and hormones.

Parliamentarians argue that minors are not mature enough to make decisions that affect their health. On the other hand, experts claim that these procedures can help to avoid mental disorders by alleviating gender dysphoria, as is known the acute discomfort that some trans people feel in relation to their own bodies.

The CFM (Federal Council of Medicine), in a resolution of 2019, authorizes pubertal block from the first signs of puberty, provided that it is done in accredited institutions with a research protocol. The treatment is considered safe and reversible, and is also prescribed for patients diagnosed with precocious puberty. Hormonization, however, is allowed only from the age of 16, requiring parental authorization, while body modification surgeries are prohibited to minors under 18 years of age.

There are also bills that seek to prohibit the so-called gender ideology or implement the Escola sem Partido program in educational institutions. Thus, they try to prevent teachers from addressing issues related to gender diversity in the classroom.

Another part of the PLs seeks to prevent trans people from participating in sports competitions, on the grounds that trans women and transvestites would have undue advantages over cis women because they were born with a body that produces testosterone. Critics of the ban say sports bans contribute to the exclusion of transgender people.

There are also projects that seek to prohibit the installation of unisex restrooms in public and private establishments. Proponents of these measures see the risk that men access these spaces to sexually abuse women.

Unisex restrooms are seen by some transgender people, particularly those in early transition and non-binary ones, as safer spaces than conventional gender-marked restrooms – there are frequent reports of trans and transgender women being assaulted or thrown out of women’s restrooms by example.

The legislative offensive targets not only trans people, but also allied groups. PL 192/2023, presented by federal deputy Kim Kataguiri (União Brasil-SP), proposes to amend the Child and Adolescent Statute (ECA) to “criminalize conduct by people who instigate, encourage, influence or allow a child or adolescent” to make a gender transition. If approved, this measure could lead to the arrest of parents, teachers and health professionals who welcome transgender children.

The chances of many of these bills becoming law are low. Even if antitrans initiatives are approved in Congress, it is likely that they will be vetoed by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) or that they will be considered unconstitutional by the STF, according to analysts.

On the other hand, there is a real risk that part of these projects move forward – some states and municipalities already have antitrans laws in place that were approved in recent years. This can contribute to an even more violent social environment for trans people, says Bruna Benevides, secretary of political articulation at Antra (National Association of Transvestites and Transsexuals).

“These bills seek to exterminate transgenderism. By denying our access to health, education and even bathrooms, they want to force trans people to assume a cisgender identity”, she says.

Symmy Larrat, national secretary for the Promotion and Defense of the Rights of LGBTQIA+ People at the Ministry of Human Rights and Citizenship, argues that the Legislature should pass laws to protect the trans population.

“The connivance with hate speech by social media and by society promotes terror against trans people. Sometimes it reaches the point of brutal murder. This movement has helped to elect promoters of hate and fake news, as is the case of Nikolas Ferreira”, says Larrat, through the folder’s press office.

When contacted, the deputy from Minas Gerais said that there was no crime of transphobia or hate speech in his statement on Women’s Day, and that he was just exercising his constitutional right to express his opinion.

“The deputy informs that he gave a speech solely with the intention of warning about the loss of space for women in sports for trans people. Men and women are biologically different and have different bodies. To deny this, therefore, is to adopt a type of denialism without precedents”, says the advice of Nikolas Ferreira, in a note.

Deputy Kim Kataguiri and the PL were sought by email, but did not respond until the publication of this text.