Brasília, May 25, 2004 (Agência Brasil) - The Brazilian government is launching a program today to combat discrimination against gays, lesbians, and transvestites. The "Brazil Without Homophobia" program was formulated by the Special Secretariat for Human Rights (SEDH) and the National Council to Combat Discrimination, with the participation of non-governmental organizations (ONG's) that strive to promote equality for homosexuals. The initiative consists of a set of public policy proposals aimed at guaranteeing the basic rights of homosexuals.
According to Ivair Augusto Alves dos Santos, executive secretary of the National Council to Combat Discrimination, the program's chief goal is to develop activities to prevent discrimination and violent acts practiced against homosexuals. The effort enjoys the partnership of engaged in designing specific policies for homosexuals.
Among the activities planned is the training and qualification of professionals in the areas of public safety, education, and health. The idea is for homosexuals not to be discriminated when they utilize these services. According to Santos, it is common for gay, lesbians, and transvestites not to report acts of violence for fear of being exposed. "The National Public Safety Plan already provides for the establishment of reference centers, such as the one that exists in Rio de Janeiro, to give trained attention to homosexuals," he pointed out. The intention of the federal government is to extend this initiative to the other states.
According to SEDH data, 2,092 homosexuals were victims of homophobic murders all over Brazil between 1963 and 2001. Santos recognizes that the road to promote human rights for homosexuals is a long one, but he believes in the power of information to win the battle against prejudice in Brazilian society. "To a great extent, our society still stereotypes human relationships, grounded in those between male and female, so we are already very happy to break the barrier of misinformation, which is the basis of every form of prejudice," he underscored.
Reporter: Gilberto Evangelista
Translator: David Silberstein
