Minister says government is open to discussing quotas for trans people

The Minister of Education, Camilo Santana stated, in an interview with Metrópoles, that the government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) is open to discussing the creation of quotas for trans people. Despite the statement, the minister stressed that the creation of the new quota may depend on approval by the National Congress.

“The government is always open to demands and discussion. Of course, there was legislative authorization to include quilombolas. You will need to assess whether you will also need legislative authorization. But the MEC is always open to discuss any demand, any changes that could benefit the population”, stated the minister.

Santana’s statement was made after questioning the possibility of including similar quotas in the Unified National Competition (CNU), and also based on the recently created quotas for quilombolas.

With the sanction of the New Quota Law, in 2023, the quilombola population was enabled to compete for quotas allocated to public school students. The inclusion of quilombolas occurred through the approval of the proposal in Congress, which is why the minister highlighted the need for legislative authorization.

The pressure for the inclusion of trans people in quotas gained strength after the Federal Public Ministry (MPF) indicated the adoption of quotas for “trans people” in public competitions and universities. Following a recommendation from the MPF, the federal government amended the CNU notice to include the reservation of 2% quotas for “trans people” in the selection for the position of tax auditor. Before the recommendation, the notice already provided for 20% quotas for black people, 5% for people with disabilities and, in the case of Funai, 30% for indigenous people.