Brazilian Association of Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals, Transvestites and Transsexuals (ABGLT) says the Heterosexual Pride Law has homophobic undertones.
The bill is a deliberately offensive and defiant attack on democracy, the organization notes.
Fernando Porfírio_247 - The São Paulo City Council approved on Tuesday a bill by the anti-gay prophet, councilman Carlos Apolinario (DEM), that creates Heterosexual Pride Day. The approval provoked a protest from the Brazilian Association of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, Transvestites and Transsexuals (ABGLT). The date will be celebrated on the third Sunday of December. The future of the project is now in the hands of Mayor Gilberto Kassab, who has veto power.
"The bill is a deliberately offensive affront to democracy and human rights," ABGLT stated in a note. According to the organization, the purpose of the bill approved by São Paulo city councilors is prejudiced and discriminatory.
In June, the city councilman from the evangelical bloc criticized the Gay Pride Parade on Paulista Avenue, saying that homosexuals were occupying a place prohibited for demonstrations. "They even took Jesus off Paulista," the councilman stated, referring to the "March for Jesus" demonstration that takes place at Campo de Marte.
Apolinario introduced the project in 2005, but since then, he had only managed to get it approved in the first vote, in 2007. He tried again to get it approved before this year's Gay Pride Parade, in June, but was unsuccessful.
For the date to be included in the municipality's official calendar, it needs to be approved by Mayor Gilberto Kassab (PSD).
There was no roll-call vote – of the 39 councilors present, 18 voted against the project: the 11 from the PT, the two from the PCdoB, Claudio Fonseca (PDT), Claudio Prado (PPS), Gilberto Natalini (independent), Juscelino Gadelha (independent), Eliseu Gabriel (PSB) and Kassab's leader, Roberto Tripoli (PV).
"August 2, 2011, is a date that will go down in the history of the city of São Paulo. Unfortunately, this will happen for a reason that will shame most of the citizens of this cosmopolitan, diverse metropolis, the pride of all Brazilians," protested ABGLT in a statement.
According to the organization, the city, which has always embraced diversity and hosts the world's largest Gay Pride Parade with nearly 4 million people, has just received the news that 19 of its representatives in the City Council session approved an obscurantist bill that discriminates against millions of citizens.
According to the statement, heterosexuals are not discriminated against simply for being heterosexual, unlike homosexuals, as exemplified by recent cases of homophobic violence on Avenida Paulista made public by the media, among many other cases in Brazil. According to ABGLT, heterosexuals are not victims of verbal and physical aggression, violence, or murders because of their sexual orientation.
“The celebration of “LGBT Pride” occurs precisely to reaffirm the need to confront the proven discrimination, aggression, and violence against homosexual people. It is absurd to propose the celebration, backed by law, of “heterosexual pride” in order to simply discredit the just social struggle of the LGBT population.”