Minas Gerais, partner state in the UN campaign Free & Equal, launches a video with a transsexual woman as its protagonist
Families play a fundamental role in protecting the rights of LGBTI people and in confronting gender-based violence or discrimination, be it real or perceived. Last Thursday (14), the Department of Human Rights, Social Participation and Citizenship of the State of Minas Gerais launched the video ‘Love transforms prejudice.’ The project was executed with backing from Free & Equal, the UN campaign for LGBTI equality to which the state announced its support in October, 2015, during the 3rd LGBTI State Conference.
‘Love transforms prejudice’ is a moving story starring a transsexual woman who was born into and grew up in a traditional Minas Gerais family that included a father, a mother and three children living in a rural area of the state. During her trajectory, the character must face several obstacles, the first of which was to suffer prejudice and rejection from her own family.
Years later, when she was already married and mother of a daughter, an invitation to the 50th wedding anniversary of her parents arrived and created immense anxiety regarding the rest of the families potential reactions. The musical track on the video is a song by Lô Borges and Márcio Borges, Quem Sabe Isso Quer Dizer Amor (Who knows, maybe this means love).
The discrimination and violence suffered by LGBTI people within their families, or, even worse, the complete severing of family ties, does not only inflict emotional and psychological suffering, but often impels them towards situations of great vulnerability and marginalization, throwing them into a cycle of social exclusion and poverty.
Additionally, it is not rare for this dynamic to perpetuate itself due to the exclusion experienced in other areas of life that, similar to the family sphere, should be providing support and acceptance to LGBTI people, especially during childhood and puberty. The school environment, especially, being one example of such an area.
UNESCO in Brazil reaffirmed its commitment to guarantee LGBTI and the rights of women. For UNESCO in Brazil, strengthening the sexuality and gender debate contributes to a more inclusive, fair and better quality education, with no room for doubt that the legislation in Brazil and its educational system need to incorporate updated perspectives about sexuality and gender.
Free & Equal
Free & Equal is the UN campaign promoting equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transvestite, transsexual, trans and intersex people.
This unprecedented and global UN initiative recognizes that sexual orientation and gender identity act as factors that structure social inequality and negatively impact the full fruition in respect to human rights of LGBTI people.
Implemented in Brazil since 2014, the campaign enjoys partnerships with the São Paulo Municipality and with the state government of Minas Gerais, and it receives support from Daniela and Malu Mercury, who are UN Champions of Equality.
- Find out more from other campaign material (in Portuguese): https://unfe.org/pt; https://nacoesunidas.org/campanha/livreseiguais
- Watch the video
- The news at UN Brasil website (in Portuguese)
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