Two facts set the tone for the opening of the VIII LGBT Seminar: Whoever loves has the right to get married. For the approval of the PEC on civil marriage", which began this morning in the Chamber of Deputies: the unanimous approval of stable unions by the Federal Supreme Court (STF) and, of course, the homophobic actions led by federal deputy Jair Bolsonaro (PP -RJ).
To the report of The Cape, senator Marta Suplicy (PT-SP), who received a standing ovation upon entering the Nereu Ramos auditorium, declared that "it's not worth arguing with this gentleman (Bolsonaro)". Suplicy also said that it is a "waste of time" to fight with parliamentarians, because, according to the senator, "they (opposed to LGBT projects) are now a minority".
Finally, Suplicy said that it is necessary to join forces to negotiate the approval of the criminalization of homophobia, which she believes is "easier" than civil unions between people of the same sex. For the senator, "this is the time to win homosexual rights."
Jean Wyllys (PSOL-RJ), responsible for opening the seminar, declared that "parliamentarians are already able to understand the difference between civil and religious marriage" and that, because of this, he is confident in the approval of the PEC (Amendment Project Constitutional) of gay civil union. After Wyllys, federal deputy Manuela D'Ávila (PCdoB-RS) spoke.
Manuela began her speech by saluting the fight of senator Marta Suplicy. "I'm trying to imagine what a woman went through, 15 years ago, when presenting a bill aimed at homosexuals. It couldn't have been easy," she commented.
In his speech, the president of the Brazilian Association of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, Transvestites and Transsexuals (ABGLT), Toni Reis, joked about the fact that his partner, David Harrid, is English. "I want to call my English prince here to read the manifesto of the National March Against Homophobia", joked Reis. The public asked the couple to kiss, but the activist said they were in a "very serious environment".
"I'm black and bisexual"
Alongside senator Marta Suplicy, singer Preta Gil said that she is the daughter of parents who were persecuted by the dictatorship and that because of this she suffered bullying at school. "A lot of people came up to me and said: 'Did you know that your father was expelled from the country because he's a stoner?'".
The singer reported that, at the time, she didn't understand, as she considered her father a "wonderful person who everyone loved." Afterwards, Preta spoke about the attacks she suffered from deputy Jair Bolsonaro. "Look guys, it's not worth mentioning this gentleman's name, we have to stop advertising it. But I want to say one thing: that my fight now is to prevent this guy from being re-elected. I'm going to campaign for that. Rio de Janeiro doesn't deserve it", declared the singer.
Another moment in which Preta drew applause and screams from the audience was when she said she was "black and bisexual". "I have a 16-year-old son, Francisco, from whom I never hid my bisexuality, and it didn't hurt him at all," said Preta, later revealing that she is "attacked" from all sides. "I'm black, chubby and bisexual, that is, I receive attacks from all sides", she concluded.
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