You know what they say – “two step forward, one steps back”. People been saying that more and more now, because of Trump, because of Brexit, because of Ted Cruz, Orlando, ect ect.
It’s not exactly the most comforting saying…but it does seem to hold out hope. Hope that even though things may seem like they are going to utter shit right now, you can bet that it’s all just part of the slow but steady road towards progression.
However, sometimes things happen in the world and that saying just becomes meaningless. It even becomes destructive. Because, if we keep saying to ourselves “oh, well it sucks that this happened, but look how far we’ve come!”, then we become complacent, preferring to sit back and pretend the bad stuff isn’t happening because it’s too much effort to think about.
Recently, a judge in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, approved the practise of gay conversion therapy. This story has got a lot of news coverage probably because Rio de Janeiro is considered one of the most gay-friendly countries in South America. Boasting almost 40 different gay clubs, saunas and bars, it is one of the top destinations for gay travellers and hosts a massive Gay Pride parade every year.
A 1990 ruling issued by the Federal Council of Psychology banned gay conversion therapies and similar practises in the nation, but last week, Waldemar de Carvalho, a federal judge in the capital, overturned this ruling.
Carvalho issued this ruling as a response to an action brought by psychologist, and evangelical Christian, Rozangela Justino. Justino had her license revoked in 2016 after offering to “convert” gays to heterosexuals.
According to reports from the Guardian, this decision by Carvalho comes only a week after a Brazilian queer art festival was cancelled after right-wing campaigners protested against it. The protestors, called the Free Brazil Movement, were supported by evangelical Christians, who accused the Queermuseu art exhibition of promoting blasphemy, paedophilia and beastiality.
Queer people have long been associated with these terms by homophobes, but the fact that this group of protestors were able to actually shut down an exhibition which was promoted by Santander, demonstrates a truly frightening reality.
Parts of the world we thought were gaining momentum when it comes to equality have begun to slow down with the surge of extreme religious fundamentalist and right-wing groups taking cues from figures like Donald Trump and Mike Pence, and speaking their minds, even if that speech is discriminatory and hurtful.
With the horrific rise of Neo-Nazi groups in the US becoming public, and vice presidents such as Pence expressing agreement with conversion therapy, it is no surprise that countries such as Brazil have responded too. Homophobic, racist, fear-mongering groups all over the Western world are becoming more and more confident in speaking out.
We should be very careful not to ignore actions such as those done by Carvalho, as it is just the beginning of an insidious wave of conservatism that will find its way everywhere if we don’t speak out against it now.
Queer as Yolk 