Well, better delete Rio from your bucket list of places to travel because Brazil just elected their own version of Donald Trump to be their next president and he really, really, really hates LGBTQ people.
63-year-old Jair Bolsonaro is a former army captain who is often referred to as the “Brazilian Trump.” And he just won 55% of the country’s vote.
Bolsonaro is pro-gun, anti-abortion, and extremely antigay with a history of making inflammatory remarks about LGBTQ people, women, and people of different races.
In addition to frequently equating homosexuality with pedophilia, he once said that he would be “incapable of loving a gay son” and that if, god forbid, he did have a gay son, he would hope to see him “die in an accident”.
How about we take this to the next level?
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This morning, Trump tweeted to say he had called Bolsonaro to congratulate on his victory.
Had a very good conversation with the newly elected President of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, who won his race by a substantial margin. We agreed that Brazil and the United States will work closely together on Trade, Military and everything else! Excellent call, wished him congrats!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 29, 2018
Bolsonaro confirmed the conversation in his own tweet, saying the US president had congratulated him on his “historic election.”
Meanwhile, The Guardian reports:
Homophobic violence in Brazil reached record levels in 2017, when at least 445 people died as victims of homophobia.
Antonio Kvalo, who cofounded the site Tem Local, which reports homophobic attacks, said Bolsonaro’s rise and his homophobic comments have further emboldened prejudice.
Attackers targeting LGBT people increasingly cite Bolsonaro or in some cases even wore his name on T-shirts, he said, noting that the LGBT population has long suffered high levels of violence in Brazil.
“These people always existed and always attacked gay people but before they did not have an excuse,” Kvalo said. “We are all very scared.”
Related: Brazil’s super antigay presidential frontrunner was just stabbed in broad daylight
NateOcean
How did Trump have time to call Brazil? I mean with congratulating the mail bomber and synagogue shooter, it’s been a busy weekend for Trump.
Mack
He did it in between all his nasty tweets about the mainstream media.
gymmuscleboy
Get over it. What was he supposed to do? Ignore him?
Franklin
Yes.
Amalgamate
Why does a skinny twinky guy have a name with “muscle” in it? #youstillskinnybitch
gymmuscleboy
Sorry, that doesn’t sound like a very presidential move to me. Trump is doing his job – well. And he still hasn’t done anything to harm gay people, despite your whining.
Billy Budd
Things are getting scary here in Brazil. He is much WORSE than Trump. He is a military and his cabinet will be filled with military people. This is a nightmare and I want to wake up.
Kangol
But 55% of Brazil’s voters chose this monster, despite all you know about him. You had a clear choice. And why was Brazil’s Northeast the only region to strongly reject this man? At least with Trump a MAJORITY of Americans voted against him, just as we did with George W. Bush in 2000.
Arnaldo74
More than 55% of the voters decided LGBT lives aren’t important. Boycott Brazil. Don’t travel here. Don’t buy brazilian products
SeaNMtnsJon
As an American who has a Brazilian husband I am very afraid of this new President that was elected and I am very concerned for not only his safety but his friends and family’s safety. HOW dd the good people of Brazil possibly let this happen? They were the 7th largest economy on this planet some years ago and then their politicians were thrown in jail. But Brazil legalized gay marriage before the US. What has happened there to lead people to electing this man? I would really like to hear from gay political leaders and those who have real influence.
Vince
Brazil is very homophobic. They did a vice documentary there recently and I sure wouldn’t want to be walking outside of the designated tour areas.
Kangol
Part of the reason he won was because the main leftist party, the Workers Party (PT), was so deeply involved in corruption, and despite successes during Lula’s two terms, also presided over the country’s financial collapse, because of a fall in commodity prices, under Lula’s success Dilma, who was ousted by a soft coup. The PT have been relentlessly demonized by the media. Of course the rightist parties, including that of the current corrupt (and convicted!) president, Michel Temer, also are deeply involved in corruption. But the mega corporations (many of which also engage in corruption) rallied around Bolsonaro, and presented him as a savior, and clearly, a majority of Brazilians, but especially the growing evangelical movement, decided he should take power. His Vice President is also truly scary too. Really scary!
Raphael
Kangol, Bolsonaro had 57,7M votes and Haddad had 47M; while 42,1M people didn’t vote… So, as you can see, he clearly wasn’t elected by the majority of Brazilians! It’s because those 42 million didn’t care enough that we have him now, it’s their fault.
SeaNMtnsJon
Good info Kangol.
SeaNMtnsJon
Not yet gym guy.