Podcast: Ricky Martin, Brazil, Music & Sexual Positions, Billy Porter's New Pride Anthem

In this week’s podcast:

• Ricky Martin helps kill a religious freedom bill in Puerto Rico

• Brazil’s high court adds homophobic and transphobic crimes to the South American country’s racism laws

• We remember that bisexuals are part of Pride Month, too

• Do your music preferences reveal if you like the top or bottom bunk?

• Grammy Award winner Billy Porter drops a new LGBTQ Pride anthem

All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report podcast.

Brazil's Supreme Federal Court Criminalizes LGBTQ Discrimination

Brazil outlaws discrimination against LGBTQs

Brazil’s high court has ruled that acts that discriminate against LGBTQ people will now be included in the South American country’s laws prohibiting racism.

In an 8-3 vote, Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court agreed to criminalize discrimination against LGBTQ people.

Passed in 1989, the country's statutes outlawing racism allow prison sentences of up to five years.

USA Todayreports that Justice Carmen Lucia noted in her ruling that “the LGBT community is treated differently in Brazil’s ‘discriminatory society,’ and as a result face a higher rate of violence.”

Although Brazil legalized same-sex marriage in 2013, violence against LGBTQ individuals is common.

Grupo de Bahia, an organization that tracks LGBT hate crimes, reported in January 2018 that there were 387 murders in Brazil during 2017. All of those were directly related to homophobia or transphobia. In 2018, the number of LGBTQ people murdered rose to 420.

Activists say the increase in violence correlates to some degree with the election of virulently homophobic President Jair Bolsonaro, who took office in January this year.

Bolsonaro has made no secret the disdain he holds for LGBTQ people.

His record as a lawmaker includes a long history of anti-LGBTQ votes, and he promised to erase pro-LGBTQ and pro-women movements during the 2018 campaign.

In a 2011 interview, he told Playboy Brazilhe would prefer to have a dead son than a gay son

And the new president has also downplayed “gay tourism” in his country.

“If you want to come here and have sex with a woman, go for your life,” he told Crusoe Magazine in April. He added that Brazil “cannot be a country for gay tourism because we have families here.”

Podcast: Brazil's Good News, Kenya's Bad News, 'Downton Abbey' Teases A Gay Romance

In this podcast:

• Brazil’s high court says the South American country’s anti-discrimination laws have to include LGBTQ protections

• Kenya’s highest court ruled the African nation’s anti-homosexuality laws aren’t discriminatory

• Texas Republicans passed their “license to discriminate” bill

• Matt Zarley & Billy Porter serve up their take on 1990s empowerment anthem "You Gotta Be"

• And the new trailer for the upcoming Downton Abbey movie reveals a gay romance amid a royal visit

All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report

Brazil's High Court Rules Anti-Discrimination Laws Must Include LGBTQ People

President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil (image via Flickr/Agência Brasil Fotografias - CC License)

Brazil’s highest court has found the exclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity from the country’s anti-discrimination laws to be unconstitutional.

Six judges on the 11-member Supreme Federal Court voted in favor of the ruling Thursday. While the other five members have not yet voted on the issue, the majority secured the court’s decision. A ruling will be issued once the remaining judges register their votes on June 5.

The ruling comes as attacks on LGBTQ people have seen a sharp increase since the election of virulently anti-gay President Jair Bolsonaro.

During the presidential election last year, Bolsonaro campaigned on a platform that was proudly homophobic. At the same time, reports of crimes against LGBTQs tripled.

Bolsonaro, whose record as a lawmaker includes a long history of anti-LGBTQ votes, promised to erase pro-LGBTQ and pro-women movements during the campaign.

He has famously declared he would prefer to have a dead son than a gay son.

And the new president has also downplayed “gay tourism” in his country.

“If you want to come here and have sex with a woman, go for your life,” he told Crusoe Magazine in April. He added that Brazil “cannot be a country for gay tourism because we have families here.”

Although same-sex marriage was legalized in 2013, local news site Rio On Watch reports Brazil is the “LGBT murder capital” of the world. In 2016, 331 LGBTQ murders were recorded which equaled one LGBT-related killing every 25 hours.

The Rio Times reports that in 2018 that Brazil had the highest number of transgender people murdered in the world.

Since 2001, anti-LGBTQ discrimination bills have been proposed in the country’s Congress, but have never been brought to a vote by lawmakers.

Brazil’s Senate is currently debating legislation would punish hate crimes based on sexual orientation or gender identity with a five year prison sentence, but a carve-out for religious beliefs is being considered for the slow-moving bill.

The inability of lawmakers to take meaningful action on the issue was, in part, what prompted Judge Luiz Fox to cast the sixth and deciding vote on Thursday.

“Parliament doesn’t act,” said Fox during the hearing, according to The Washington Post. “This is no guarantee the bill will pass, and even if it does, it can be vetoed and homophobia will continue. The judiciary must act in defense of minorities against violence by the majority.”

While several states in Brazil have laws in place to protect against LGBTQ discrimination, the new ruling by the Supreme Federal Court will be the first federal law to make LGBTQ discrimination a crime nationwide.

Report: Brazilian Crooks Received $62 Million In Funds Earmarked For Struggling US Farmers

The New York Daily News is reporting the Trump administration has forked over more than $62 million — taxpayer cash that was supposed to be earmarked for struggling American farmers — to a massive meatpacking company owned by a couple of corrupt Brazilian brothers.

The Trump administration has forked over more than $62 million — taxpayer cash that was supposed to be earmarked for struggling American farmers — to a massive meatpacking company owned by a couple of corrupt Brazilian brothers.

The Department of Agriculture cut a contract in January to purchase $22.3 million worth of pork from plants operated by JBS USA, a Colorado-based subsidiary of Brazil’s JBS SA, which ranks as the largest meatpacker in the world.

The bailout raised eyebrows from industry insiders at the time, as it was sourced from a $12 billion program meant for American farmers harmed by President Trump’s escalating trade war with China and other countries.

But previously undisclosed purchase reports obtained by the Daily News this week reveal the administration has since issued at least two more bailouts to JBS, even as Trump’s own Justice Department began investigating the meatpacker, whose owners are Joesley and Wesley Batista — two wealthy brothers who have confessed to bribing hundreds of top officials in Brazil.

Both brothers have spent time in jail over the sweeping corruption scandal.

NYDN: Company owned by Brazilian crooks received $62 million in Trump bailout cash meant for struggling U.S. farmers https://t.co/fdPR0pMVDS

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) May 16, 2019

Brazil's Homophobic President Cancels US Trip After Public Outrage

Jair Bolsonaro (image via Flickr/Agência Brasil Fotografias - CC License)

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has cancelled an upcoming trip to the United States, where he was to be honored as person of the year by the Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce, after growing outrage among LGBTQ activists and other groups.

The American Museum of Natural History last month announced it would no longer host the event with Bolsonaro.

Delta Air Lines, The Financial Times and Bain & Co are among the companies that pulled their sponsorship of the event because of Bolsonaro’s participation.

Otávio Santana do Rêgo Barros, a spokesperson for Bolsonaro, announced the trip’s cancellation due to “deliberate attacks from the mayor of New York and the pressure of interest groups on the institutions that organize, sponsor and host the event annually.”

Statement from the Brazil on the cancellation of President Bolsonaro’s trip to New York. pic.twitter.com/BjdW8hn3SO

— Ryan Ruggiero (@RyanRuggiero) May 3, 2019

A former Brazilian Army captain and member of Brazil's Congress, Bolsonaro took office on January 1 after waging a very anti-LGBTQ, anti-women and anti-indigenous campaign.

He's publicly said that he'd rather have a dead son than a gay son.

When asked if he was homophobic, he not only answered 'yes,' but said he is 'proudly' homophobic.

Shortly after being sworn in, he ordered Brazil's human rights office not to consider LGBTQ-specific issues.

Bolsonaro on March 19 stressed his government’s “respect of traditional family values” and opposition to “gender identity” as he spoke alongside President Trump during a press conference in the White House Rose Garden.

And last week, Bolsonaro announced he does not want Brazil to become a “gay tourism paradise.”

Podcast: Trolls Bungle Fake Buttigieg Smear, Mormon Valedictorian Comes Out At Graduation; 2019 Tony Award Nominations

In this week's podcast:

• GOP trolls attempt to smear Mayor Pete Buttigieg

• A valedictorian at Brigham Young University comes out during his graduation speech

• The president of Brazil told gays not to come to his country

• Disney cancelled its award-winning LGBTQ-inclusive series Andi Mack

• The 2019 Tony Awards nominations are out including a Special Tony Award for Judith Light for her LGBTQ advocacy

All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report podcast.

News Round-Up: February 8, 2019

(image via Instagram)

Some news items you might have missed:

• InstaHunk 'Steve In LA' wants you to remember to consider adopting from a dog rescue next time you want to expand your furry family. OMG, I want all four! 

• The Arizona state government has raised over a million dollars for a notorious anti-LGBTI group, Alliance Defending Freedom, by selling specialty license plates.

• Things got way out of hand last night at popular West Hollywood gay bar, Micky's, when a patron being escorted out of the establishment turned and stabbed the security guard twice in the back.

• Tennessee state Sen. Joey Hensley, virulently anti-gay and professes "deeply held religious convictions," has introduced legislation in his state that would allow adoption agencies to discriminate against same-sex couples. Hensley, who has divorced four times (sanctity of marriage my ass), was named in a divorce proceeding in 2017 for sleeping with another man's wife. #DeeplyHeldReligiousBeliefs

• One of the highest ranking officers in the California National Guard has announced the state won't discharge transgender soldiers from its ranks even as the Trump administration continues to move its ban on trans military service members.

• The president of Brazil has announced plans to remove all references to homosexuality, feminism, and violence against women from public school textbooks. President Jair Bolsonaro's campaign for the presidency proudly included anti-LGBTQ policies.

• Laverne Cox was giving you LIFE as she closed the 11 Honore fashion show finale during New York Fashion Week.

The event is a first for 11 Honore as it only featured plus size clothes from designers.

Wearing a gown by Zac Posen, the Orange is the New Black star twirled on the runway, serving up glamour, and clearly having the time of her life. Get it, diva!

View this post on Instagram

What an incredible honor to close @11honore's first fashion show with these incredible women who represent the size diversity of the women of America. Thank you for existing @11honore and for giving me this incredible honor. ...thank you @zacposen for the gown of LIFE!!! #TransIsBeautiful #SizeInclusivity #SizeDiversity ... Reposted from @harpersbazaarus - Now this is how you close a fashion show! @11honore set the bar high for the kickoff of #NYFW. @lavernecox - #regrann

A post shared by laverne cox (@lavernecox) on Feb 6, 2019 at 4:48pm PST

News Round-Up: February 5, 2019

(image via Instagram/Johnny.Desperado)

Some news items you might have missed:

• I love Wrangler jeans. And the outdoors. And cowboy hats.. And, hold on, something else, it's coming to me... :)

• The movie Boy Erased, based on Garrard Conley’s real-life journey through so-called 'conversion therapy' will not be released in Brazil. Universal Pictures says the film won't be released due to 'financial reasons.' The South American country recently elected openly-homophobic Jair Bolsonaro as president.

• If you ever wondered EXACTLY what it's like to be bullied at school as a young boy, before he's even figured out who he is, please read this by my talented friend, David Toussaint. Definitely worth the read.

A monster from my childhood is gone. Here's why I miss him. https://t.co/aYqFxVi6Z2 https://t.co/aYqFxVi6Z2

— David Toussaint (@DRToussaint) February 5, 2019

• ABC News: An investigation by a government watchdog organization shows President Donald Trump’s four trips to his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida over four weeks in March and February 2017, including his summit with the Japanese prime minister, cost the government nearly $14 million.

• Opera singer David Daniels and his husband Scott Walters, were arrested Tuesday over allegations of rape by baritone Samuel Schultz in 2010. Schultz, who told police he was drugged and raped in 2010, came forward with the allegation in August.

• Texas political phenom Beto O'Rourke gave Oprah "a strong signal" he is seriously considering a 2020 run for the White House.

Talking with @Oprah just now, Beto sends a strong signal he is weighing a run for President and will decide by the end of the month. Oprah characterized his remarks as “leaning towards a run” and Beto did not correct her... #nhpolitics #Beto #Beto2020 #DraftBeto pic.twitter.com/Nz1c4F1lxC

— Jay Surdukowski (@Jay1043) February 5, 2019

• A seven year-old boy in Wisconsin was beaten, tortured and buried in the snow until he died of hypothermia for not knowing his Bible verses.

• Pet Shop Boys drop their first single, “Give Stupidity a Chance”, from their upcoming EP Agenda (release date April 12).

Neil Tennant describes the track as “a satirical song about the poor quality of political leadership in the modern world.”

“Chicks are always up for it / You’ve got to grab whatever you can / We need a leader who knows money means class / With an eye for a peach-perfect piece of ass”

Check out the lyric video below.

News Round-Up: January 24, 2019

Ryan Worley (photo: Vinnie Cassidy)

Some news items you might have missed:

• Las Vegas based photographer Vinnie Cassidy captures a gorgeous sunset moment (above) with Chippendales' hottie, Ryan Worley.

• Australia's postal survey on marriage equality in 2017 led to increased levels of anxiety and depression among LGBTs, according to a new study.

• The Supreme Court of Japan has ruled unanimously to uphold a law which forces transgender people to get sterilized before they can legally change their gender.

• An openly gay congressman who is a political opponent of anti-LGBT Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is leaving his job and the country amid death threats.

• In a 'Hold my Dom Pérignon' moment, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross (who is a billionaire) says he doesn't understand why federal workers not getting paid during the Trump shutdown don't just 'take out loans' to feed their families. #clueless

Wilbur Ross is @realDonaldTrump’s Secretary of Commerce.

Wilbur Ross is a billionaire.

And this is billionaire Wilbur Ross saying he doesn’t understand why federal workers not getting paid during the #TrumpShutdown don’t just take out loans *to feed their families*.

Unreal. pic.twitter.com/YHHZqKa8sx

— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) January 24, 2019

• The Trump Administration has waived anti-discrimination requirements for a federally-funded child welfare agency in South Carolina opening the door for discrimination of LGBTQ and non-Christian people who may be seeking to foster or adopt.

• Citing the recent article in The Atlantic regarding allegations of sexual abuse against director Bryan Singer, GLAAD has made the decision to remove Bohemian Rhapsody from contention for a GLAAD Media Award in the 'Outstanding Film – Wide Release' category this year.

• Dido has shared a gorgeous live rendition of her new single "Give You Up," from her first album in five years, Still On My Mind, out March 8th.

Dido describes the track as "a good break up song, where you’ve been hurt but feel strong."

"It's that point in a relationship where you are pulling yourself out of the gutter and deciding that it's their loss," she adds. "Which I can totally relate to.”

Podcast: Madonna, Record LGBTQ Congress Members, More Kevin Hart Debacle, Brazil

In this episode of The Randy Report podcast:

• The new Congress is sworn in with a record number of LGBTQ lawmakers

• Donald Trump scored a victory in court this week regarding his proposed ban on transgender military service members

• Comedian Kevin Hart’s homophobic tweets & jokes landed him on Ellen DeGeneres’ couch

• Brazil's new president attacks LGBTQs on day one

• And Madonna surprised the crowd at the iconic Stonewall Inn on New Year’s Eve

All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report.

Brazil's New President Begins Attack On LGBTQ Rights Hours After Being Sworn Into Office

Jair Bolsonaro (image via Flickr/Agência Brasil Fotografias - CC License)

The LGBTQ community in Brazil began to see its fears realized on New Year’s Day when newly-elected President Jair Bolsonaro immediately issued executive orders targeting the South American country’s gay citizens.

Just hours after his inauguration, Bolsonaro removed all LGBTQ issues from the agenda of the Human Rights Ministry.

Damares Alves, a former evangelical pastor who is now Brazil’s new human rights minister, said in her first public statement, “The state is lay, but this minister is terribly Christian.”

“Girls will be princesses and boys will be princes,” said Alves. “There will be no more ideological indoctrination of children and teenagers in Brazil.”

In removing LGBTQ concerns from the Human Rights Ministry, Bolsonaro did not name another agency to take on the responsibilities.

Bolsonaro has been virulently anti-LGBTQ his entire career having worn the label of “proud homophobe” for years. In the past he’s said parents should beat their children if they suspect they might be gay, and that he’d rather have “a dead son rather than a gay son.”

In fact, his platform of anti-LGBTQ, anti-Black, anti-women, and anti-Indigenous positions won his the presidency with more than 55% of the vote in October.

As I've recently reported, numerous same-sex couples made a dash to the alter to get married before Bolsonaro took office, concerned he might attempt to reverse the country’s 2013 same-sex marriage law.

According to NBC News, Bolsonaro signed a document in partnership with the Catholic organization Voto Católico Brasil promising “to defend and promote the true meaning of matrimony: the union between a man and a woman.” LGBTQ activists and advocates saw that as a threat to repeal marriage equality.

Bolsonaro's impending presidency led to a 66% spike in same-sex weddings in November according to The New York Times.

Considering the assault on LGBTQ rights by the Trump administration, it comes as no surprise that Donald Trump tweeted a message of support to Bolsonaro, who has been called the “Trump of the Tropics.”

Congratulations to President @JairBolsonaro who just made a great inauguration speech - the U.S.A. is with you!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2019

President Trump also sent his Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, to attend Bolsonaro’s inauguration.

Great meeting President @jairbolsonaro to reinforce our shared commitment to democracy, education, prosperity, security, and #humanrights. Look forward to working together to support those suffering in #Cuba, #Nicaragua, and #Venezuela under the weight of dictatorships. pic.twitter.com/GQ5SP24Rl7

— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) January 2, 2019

LGBTQs In Brazil Rush To Marry Fearing New Anti-Gay President

Even though same-sex marriage has been legal in Brazil since 2013, LGBTQ couples are hurrying their wedding plans before right-wing politician Jair Bolsonaro is sworn into office as the country’s new president.

Bolsonaro, often referred to as the “Donald Trump of the Tropics,” has been virulently anti-LGBTQ his entire career and campaigned on a promise to defend “the true meaning of matrimony as a union between man and woman.”

Bolsonaro's campaign already seems to have begun to influence public opinion and actions.

Comparing 2017 to 2016, anti-LGBTQ murders are up 30% (387 in 2017 vs. 327 in 2016) according to local LGBTQ advocacy group Grupo Gay de Bahia.

And openly lesbian city councillor Marielle Franco of Rio de Janeiro was murdered in March of this year.

All of this and Bolsonaro's impending presidency has led to a 66% spike in same-sex weddings in November according to The New York Times.

In Brazil’s largest city, São Paulo, 57 same-sex weddings were celebrated during the first ten days of December compared to 113 in all of December 2017.

Aline Foguel set a date for her wedding to her girlfriend Carolina Zannata right after Bolsonaro’s landslide victory. She, like many in the LGBTQ community, worries that the new far-right president’s ascension will give permission to homophobes to openly air their hateful, divisive rhetoric, possibly leading to violence.

“People now have this open homophobic discourse that they were too embarrassed to say before,” Ms. Foguel told the Times. “I’m so afraid of reliving a past that I thought we had already conquered. I’ve had panic attacks.”

The Brazilian Bar Association’s head of sexual diversity, Maria Berenice Dias, urged same-sex couples “who want to get married to hurry up and formalize their union before the end of the year.”

And it’s not just marriage equality Brazilian LGBTQs are concerned about.

Noah Beltramini, a transgender man, not only rushed to marry but also to officially change his name and gender identification after a Supreme Court ruling earlier this year allowed.

“It wasn’t something I was worried about before,” said Beltramini. “But with Bolsonaro I feel completely vulnerable.”

(h/t The New York Times)

Brazil Elects Far-Right Homophobe As President

Jair Bolsonaro (image via Flickr/Agência Brasil Fotografias - CC License)

While LGBTQ people in the United States continue to cope with the ongoing assault by the Trump administration on our community’s rights and protections, Brazil has just elected its own homophobic president, Jair Bolsonaro.

Bolsonaro, who has been called ‘the Trump of the Tropics,’ is a 30-year veteran of Brazil’s congress as well as a retired Army captain.

The 63-year-old clinched the presidency with 55% of the vote in a run-off against Fernando Haddad from the left-wing Workers Party.

He won the election with campaign promises to fight crime and corruption, but it’s his homophobic statements that have LGBTQ Brazilians more than a little concerned.

“Yes, I’m homophobic – and very proud of it,” he once proclaimed.

In 2011, he told Playboy that he would be “incapable of loving a homosexual child.”

“I’m not going to act like a hypocrite here,” he added. “I’d rather have my son die in an accident than show up with some mustachioed guy.”

Bolsonaro admits he wouldn’t even live near gay people. In that same interview he said, “If a homosexual couple comes to live next to me it will devalue my home.”

“If they walk around holding hands and kissing, that devalues it,” he added.

In 2010, he offered this advice on how to raise a gay son on the television program Participaçăo Popular: “If your son starts acting a little gay, hit him with some leather, and he’ll change his behavior.”

In 2002, he told Folha de Săo Paulo, “I will not fight nor discriminate, but if I see two men kissing in the street, I’ll hit them.”

In a 2013 interview with Stephen Fry, he told the UK reporter “Brazilians don’t like homosexuals.” Fry called it one of the ‘most chilling confrontations’ he’s ever had with a human being.

Doesn’t he sound lovely?

It’s a deadly time for LGBTQ Brazilians as violence against the community has continued to rise.

According to Gay Star News, there have been more than 300 murders of LBGTQ people in 2018 already. That’s an increase from 220 at this same time in 2017.

Additionally, there have been 713 hate crimes committed against LGBTQ individuals in 2018.

(h/t Gay Star News)

News Round-Up: September 8, 2018

(image via Instagram)

Some news items you might have missed:

• Official 'Summer Ambassador' Joey Hornyak (above) says "Summer is closely coming to an end. The best way to max out the beautiful days that remain is to kick back pool-side with a Grey Goose cocktail in hand." I ain't mad... ;)

• After announcing a new category - "Outstanding Achievement in Popular Film" - the Academy for Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences has scrapped the idea, clearly meant to pander to a TV audience.

• NBC has announced a new Law & Order spin-off that will focus entirely on hate crimes.

• Dulles Airport has rolled out a new facial recognition system to check fliers into their flights in an effort to forego paper or phone-based boarding passes.

• A far-right anti-LGBT presidential candidate in Brazil was stabbed during a campaign stop.

• Twitter has finally permanently banned InfoWars nutjob Alex Jones for his off-the-wall, crazy-tunes antics.

• MNEK drops his latest single, "Correct," just days before he releases his debut album, Language.

It’s an imaginative and powerful statement from a man who’s been in the music industry for 10 years.

While “Correct” openly addresses the pressure of delivering his debut, he openly expresses the struggles of being an out, gay, black man in this ever-challenging “Crazy World.”

Check out "Correct" below.

Brazil: Gay Kiss At Popular Tourist Attraction Gets Push Back

"The Kiss"

Readers - special thanks to my Instinct Magazine colleague, David Lopez, for this guest post.

********************************************

High about the land in lush greenery of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, are the Sugarloaf cable cars, an attraction that takes visitors to the popular destination through a picturesque viewing of Brazil and possibly one of the most iconic figures in the world, Christ the Redeemer.

The attraction moves between Praia Vermelha and the Sugarloaf Mountain, reaching a summit of 1,299 feet.

Visitors who take the cable cars, can have their photos taken in the waiting area’s Fotográfica to commemorate their trip to Rio.

Sample photos of people from around the world adorn the photo area, but recently one particular photo has been the topic of controversy as it includes a gay couple kissing at the attraction.

The Intercept reports that the photo exists because of 29-year-old manager Pedro Lotti, who asked the couple if it were okay to display it for all to see.

Lotti, who is not gay, is inclusive of everyone who visits the attraction and often asks people if they are a couple. If they responds “yes” he encourages them to kiss or embrace, inviting them to be themselves. When the couple in the photo in question decided to kiss, Lotti asked them for permission to display it—and he chose to put it front and center for all visitors to see.

Lotti shared with The Intercept:

“I did it specifically because roughly 70 percent of our employees here are gay, and they experience serious problems here because of this. It actually took a while to be able to have a photo of a gay couples kissing because most are afraid to do it. Always, at the entrance, I noticed that same-sex couples were cautious or scared to touch, hold hands, or kiss for their photos and they would walk to the photo area, and then walk away, and return various times, obviously afraid of how people would react.”

Pedro Lotti

Lotti shares that since the photo has been on display, there have been floods of complaints as to why it is there.

“Unfortunately, the large majority of people who react to the photo do so quite poorly," said Lotti. "We get complaints every day. They typically complain, specifically, that the photo is in the line of vision for children, and are angry that their kids specifically have seen the photo.”

Lotti refuses to remove the photo despite public opposition. Instead, he sees the photo as a teachable moment among parents and their children. He takes great satisfaction in the moments when parents use the photo to describe that love comes in all different forms.

Most of the complaints that come from parents use children as the excuse for wanting to censor, but according to Lotti, the children never demonstrate a negative reaction. It is the parents who bring up the issue because of their intolerance.

In a densely-Catholic country like Brazil, which has conservative ideologies, Lotti’s stance on the issue is making strides toward the inclusion and acceptance of the LGBTQ community.

(h/t: The Intercept)

Read more by David Lopez at InstinctMagazine.com.

Viral Video: Two Of Brazil's Biggest Actors Kiss To Protest Homophobia

via Instagram

Kissing for a cause.

Bruno Gagliasso and João Vicente de Castro, two of Brazil’s biggest actors, both heterosexual, locked lips at Brazil’s GQ Men of the Year awards in Rio de Janeiro to make a statement against homophobia and machismo.

Gagliasso posted a pic of the kiss to his Instagram account, dedicating the kiss to all the ‘macho card-carriers, hypocritical and prejudiced’, to show there’s nothing wrong with showing ‘our affection and love’ for another man.

Gagliasso has a been a long-time supporter of LGBT rights, having previously played a gay character on a Brazilian soap opera. In the past, he's shared his opinion that he believes "macho" images have a negative or unhealthy effect on audiences. He said the kiss was meant to challenge the nation’s views on what it means to be “macho.”

News Round-Up: July 31, 2015

Felippe and Marlon on the streets of Sao Paulo

Some news stories you may have missed:

• Sexy Brazilian couple Felippe & Marlon expose homophobia by exposing themselves via a nighttime nude photo shoot in Sao Paulo.

• Donald Trump joins the deniers on climate change: "It’s weather. You’re going to have bad weather. I don’t happen to believe it’s manmade.”

• The Republican Party scores it's lowest approval rating in decades.

• The White House announces expansion to HIV strategy over the next five years that includes full access to pre-exposure prophylaxis services.

• The parents of a Texas gay man have filed a lawsuit against the Galveston police department after he was allegedly denied his anxiety medication, suffered seizures and eventually died while in custody.

• Right wing nut and U.S. Congressman Louie Gohmert of Texas thinks he can prove a point by dropping four gay couples on one island and four straight couples on another. Not sure what it would prove, but I know which island I'd pick.

Brazil: São Paulo Close To Running Out Of Water

Folks here in the US can deny climate change all they want, but down in São Paulo, Brazil, it's about to get real as the city of 20 million faces it's worst drought in 80 years.

One of the causes of the crisis may be more than 2,000 kilometers away, in the growing deforested areas in the Amazon region.

“Humidity that comes from the Amazon in the form of vapor clouds - what we call ‘flying rivers’ - has dropped dramatically, contributing to this devastating situation we are living today,” said Antonio Nobre, a leading climate scientist at INPE, Brazil’s National Space Research Institute.

The changes, he said, are “all because of deforestation”.

Nobre and a group of fellow scientists and meteorologists believe the lack of rain that has dried up key reservoirs in São Paulo and neighboring states in southeastern Brazil is not just the result of an aberration in weather patterns.

Instead, global warming and the deforestation of the Amazon are altering the climate in the region by drastically reducing the release of billions of liters of water by rainforest trees, they say.

Sabesp, the state-owned water utility that serves the city, issued warnings last week that São Paulo only has about two weeks of drinking water supplies left.

And we're not just talking about water for drinking, cooking and bathing. Crops in southeastern Brazil, like sugar and coffee, look to be highly impacted by the drought.

Brazil: Is marriage equality settled?

Looks like the news out of Brazil yesterday that the country's high court had effectively legalized marriage equality may not be the last word on the subject.

From the New York Times:

Brazil’s courts generally hew to the decisions of the National Council of Justice, which was created in 2004 and has functioned largely as a disciplinary body for the judiciary. But Congress could be another matter, as tensions simmer between Brazil’s legislative and judicial branches over the high court’s conviction of legislators involved in a vast vote-buying scandal.

Moreover, legislators who oppose same-sex marriage have recently grown more vocal in Congress. Marco Feliciano, a conservative evangelical preacher who now leads the lower house’s commission for human rights and minorities, has drawn criticism for comments that gay-rights activists call homophobic, but he has resisted pressure to step down from the post.

Same-sex marriage is already legal in 13 Brazilian states and in the capital federal district.