Research reveals that the rate of lesbophobia in the country is still high

In the month that celebrates the National Day of Lesbian Visibility, experts point out the urgency of public policies that take into account the intersectionalities of this population

 

 

The National Day of Lesbian Visibility is celebrated on August 29 as a way of drawing attention to the demands of lesbian women, as well as strengthening the fight against violence and prejudice. Data from the 1st National LesboCensus: Mapping Lesbian Experiences in Brazil reveals how essential the date still is, 27 years after its creation. The survey shows that 79% of the women interviewed have already suffered some kind of lesbophobia. Among the most recurrent acts are bullying, sexual harassment and psychological violence.

The survey was carried out by the Brazilian Lesbian League, in partnership with the Association of Lesbian Feminists of Brasilia - Coturno de Vênus. The survey heard from 22,000 lesbian women across the country during the year 2022 and points out how prejudice also interferes with their health treatment. According to the data, 25% of the women interviewed had already suffered discrimination in gynecological care. The vast majority, 73%, report feeling fear, apprehension or embarrassment when talking about being a lesbian during appointments.

For Amalia Fischer, co-founder and general director of the fund ELAS+ Giving for changethere has been a lot of progress in the fight for lesbian visibility in Brazil. For her, women have become stronger in recent decades and have taken the lead in many initiatives that work for social transformation and to combat prejudice. However, she points out that there is still a long way to go. "When thinking about the demands of LBTI people, it's very common to follow the health bias, such as the prevention of HIV/Aids and other sexually transmitted infections. But we are integral beings, we need to draw attention to all the other aspects of our lives that are also crossed by prejudice," says Amalia.

Intersectionalities

Situations of lesbophobia in the workplace and also in the family are still common, according to the Mapping of Lesbian Experiences in Brazil. The survey shows that 40% of women have already suffered moral harassment or institutional violence. In addition, 92% of those interviewed said they had been interrupted when they were about to speak, and 36% had been prevented from leaving the house.

Program manager and member of the executive board of ELAS+, Savana Brito, says that these indices demonstrate in practice the intersectionality of lesbian women's experiences. "In addition to the stigmas of affective-sexual orientation, we are also affected by gender-based violence. And we can't forget the demands of black lesbian women, who are also affected by racism. It is urgent to think about public policies in a broad and comprehensive way, and to support lesbian women so that they occupy more and more decision-making spaces," concludes Savana.

History

The National Day of Lesbian Visibility was created from the 1st National Lesbian Seminar (SENALE), held in Brazil on August 29, 1996. The meeting is considered a historic milestone for the LBTI movement in the country, as it discussed issues such as collective organization, health and the visibility of lesbian women. The event was organized by Neusa das Dores Pereira, a human rights activist and recognized leader in the lesbian and black women's movements.

Neusa is also one of the five lesbian women who founded ELAS+, a fund whose mission is to strengthen Leadership and the rights of women and trans people. Throughout 2022, ELAS+ has supported 270 initiatives led by cis, trans and other trans women - 159 of these leaders are LBTI people.