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A leading politician in Brazil, who is planning on challenging Jair Bolsonaro in Presidential elections next year, has come out as gay.
Eduardo Leite is the 36-year-old governor of the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul. He is a member of the center-right Brazilian Social Democratic Party (PSDB). He has been consistently critical of Bolsonaro’s handling of the Covid pandemic.
Leite made the revelation on Thursday night during an interview with broadcaster TV Globo.
“I have never spoken about a subject related to my private life,” Leite said. “But during this moment of low integrity in Brazil, I have nothing to hide. I’m gay – and I’m a governor who is gay rather than a gay governor.
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“Just as Obama in the United States wasn’t a black president, but a president who was black. And I’m proud of this.”
His announcement was widely welcomed by LGBTQ advocates in the country and abroad. Leite later tweeted: “The countless messages of affection and support that I’m receiving leave me absolutely convinced: love will defeat hatred!”
As inúmeras mensagens de carinho e apoio que estou recebendo me deixam absolutamente seguro: o amor vai vencer o ódio! Muito muito muito obrigado a todos! ❤️
— Eduardo Leite (@EduardoLeite_) July 2, 2021
However, some were quick to remind Leite that he had publicly supported Bolsonaro’s Presidential bid in 2018, even though Bolsonaro has a history as a homophobe.
Related: Bolsonaro says Brazil must stop being a country of “fags” in its response to COVID
Back in 2011, Bolsonaro said in an interview with Playboy, “I would be incapable of loving a gay son”, suggesting it would be better for such a son to die in a car accident.
In 2018, during a filmed interview, Bolsonaro said, “Yes, I’m homophobic – and very proud of it.”
During his Presidency, Bolsonaro’s anti-LGBTQ attitudes have remained unchanged. In 2019, he spoke out about allowing Brazil to become a “gay tourism paradise.” He has faced consistent criticism for his handling of Covid in the country, and early on in the pandemic reportedly told staff that facemasks were for “sissies.”
On Friday, Bolsonaro reacted to Leite’s coming out, describing it as a “business card” for his campaign.
“I have nothing against his private life, but he cannot impose his lifestyle on others.”
Related: Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro slams nation’s gay tourism as affront to “families”
Jean Wyllys, the first openly gay member of Congress in Brazil, responded to Leite’s coming out by saying Leite had never retracted his support for Bolsonaro.
“This chap had many opportunities to defend the LGBT community and he didn’t. On the contrary … he was a Bolsonarista until yesterday – and he’s probably still one today, because at no point has he retracted his support for Bolsonaro.
“So I don’t celebrate this. I’m not part of this team of people who are commemorating this chap coming out of the closet as if it was some great accomplishment for Brazil’s LGBT community.”
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The Brazil Presential elections take places in two stages if no candidate gains 50% of the vote in the first round. In 2018, the PSDB candidate did not get through to the run-off stage, hence Leite’s vote for Bolsonaro.
Appearing to go some way to addressing this previous support for the current president, Leite said yesterday on social media he gave his vote to Bolsonaro in 2018 but not his “support.”
“Today, it is obvious that Bolsonaro’s election was a mistake. We make mistakes to learn and learn not to make mistakes again.”
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Hdtex
There’s nothing “center right” about this reich-wing garbage. Ugly on the inside, ugly on the outside.
chrisba320
God, he is gorgeous!
Kangol2
Leite’s coming out is a positive symbolic and personal gesture but his politics are as bad as his judgment. The man voted for Bolsonaro, an openly anti-gay, racist right-winger who was praising the military dictatorship before he was elected. How clueless do you have to be NOT to vote for someone like that. On top of this, Leite’s party is no friend of LGBTQ people.
Of course Bolsonaro is far worse, but Lula, who was wrongly barred from running last time, is the far better option, as would anyone to the left of these incompetents. Under Lula the country prospered tremendously, poverty fell, the economy grew, etc. Under Bolsonaro and the far-right Brazil has spun out of control, within one of the worst death tolls from Covid-19 in the world, an economy in retreat, etc. Brazil needs many things right now but Leite’s governance isn’t one of them.
Fahd
Bolsanaro has been a disaster for Brazil and a disaster for the world (see Amazon deforestration). It seems unlikely that Leite’s coming out contributes to Bolsanaro’s defeat, nor does it seem that a Leite administration would be a meaningful improvement. I can’t criticize him for coming out though. That wouldn’t be right.
ryanss
OMG, he’s gorgeous.
Herman75
Another gay pol that’s more like Mark Foley and Aaron Schock then Pete Buttigieg. Bummer. I wonder how that will play in Brazil.
ComunistFagFromBrazil
Leite is a FASCIST FAR RIGHT POLITICIAN IN BRAZIL. He admitted publicly having voted on Bolsonaro! He is a terrible governor in Rio Grande do Sul… Most of the public employee from there are not receiving their payments… HE PROMOTED A GENOCIDE ON HIS STATE OPENING THE STORES AND THE SCHOOLS AMONG THE PANDEMIC! Leite is a GENOCIDE FASCIST that uses his sexuality to conceal his fascism! He is not a PRESIDENTIAL… And taking him as one is an insult to the Brazilian People! He does not represent the LGBTQIAP+ in Brazil and he will never will! No more fascists! They won’t be forgiven! #Lula2022 #DireitaNuncaMais #CentrãoFascistaDireitaGenocida #BolsonaroLadrãoDeVacina #MarxDonoDoMeuCu #USAelectedBolsonaro
barryaksarben
Brazils Aaron Shock. Yes he may be goodlooking but it is only skin deep as he is a monster inside. He has supported a horrible regime and I doubt very much that he changed one bit in his political leanings. Ot os tp bad peoples souls dont show on their faces
humble charlie
I’m sure Ernst Röhm (Hitler’s right hand man and head of the Brownshirts, the Nazi paramilitary wing) would be proud of him.
Clark
It is always entertaining to hear the lunatics on the left go immediately into ‘nazi-speak’ any time someone that isn’t rabidly left makes Is even more entertaining that the ones always whining about nazis and the reich are the actually more like these disgusting creatures .The left always actually does everything they accuse the right of doing and being.
Invader7
@ Clark.. This dude is a right wing hack. And you’re defending him !!! We’re speaking the TRUTH . You right wing operative !!!
Gadfeal
Yet, again, I don’t know why a public persona would actively label himself by a term that is reductive. He may be of “gay” orientation, but that means zilch as to his politics, morals, education, personality, culture… It would be just as useful to state, “I’m running as a Man, a Brunet, a Bearded, a Lusophone…”
On a humorous note, he looks like a good-looking brother to Lin Manuel Miranda, eh?
CarrieV
Just a bit of trivia: his last name, Leite, translates to ‘Milk’ in English, like Harvey Milk, but of course not as much like Harvey Milk as anyone would like.