Campaign against homophobia


With the program "Brazil Without Homophobia," the government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has taken a step in eradicating prejudice against homosexuals, bisexuals, transvestites and individuals who have undergone sex changes.

The program launched on May 25, being carried out in coordination with civil society groups, includes training courses for teachers to deal with the issue of homosexuality in the classroom, proposes specific public policies in the areas of education, health, justice and culture and creates a special human rights secretariat for these groups.

The violence generated by homophobia has led to a high number of murders of homosexuals in Brazil, said Javier Angonoa, coordinator of the Gay Group of Bahia in northeastern Brazil.

According to the V Annual Report of the International Human Rights Commission of the Gay and Lesbian Community, in 2003 Brazil had the highest number of deaths due to homophobia with 22 out of a regional total of 42.