Brazilian transgender teen exposed on the web after military enlistment

By Sergio Viula
Brazilian blogger
With information from G1 and Fantástico

http://g1.globo.com/sao-paulo/noticia/2015/09/adolescente-transgenera-tem-fotos-e-ficha-de-alistamento-postados-na-web.html 


Youngster received slashing phone calls after enlisting. 

Brazilian Army said that the soldiers involved in the personal information leak will be punished.

Marianna Lively, the harrassed transgender teen, 

getting it off her chest on her own Facebook page.

Marianna Lively, 18, had two photos of hers as well as all her personal data spread on the internet just a few minutes after enlisting in the compulsory Military Service in the neighbourhood of Quitaúna, in the city of Osasco, State of São Paulo, Brazil, on September 23rd. She was only 17 then.

The young girl hasn't used her registration name since she was 15 and asked journalist from Globo (the biggest news company in Brazil) to be identified by the name she has adopted: Marianna Lively.

According to Globo, The Brazilian Army informed that they "do not discriminate any person on the ground of their race, creed, sexual orientation or by any other parameter. The respect towards the individual and towards human dignitiy, on all levels, is an indispensable condition both for the good relationship among their members and with society."

Mariana had her images, personal address and telephone numbers spread on the web. Eventually, she started receiving several calls, some of cumpliments, others of offense.

"I arrived to enlist at 7 o'clock and left at 7:30. It was all very fast and I went out without having suffered any prejudice. However, at about 2 o'clock p.m., I started receiving calls from people looking for me by my birth certificate name", she told O Globo.

[The capitain] apologized for the soldiers' infantilism, but he asked me to let it settle down and change my mobile number. As if it really solved the problem of their disclose of my address and all my documents."

Marianna Lively

According to Marianna herself, interviewed by G1 (Globo network's portal) and by Fantastico (its principal TV weekly magazine), shel has always being backed up by her parents as transgender girl. She said that she used to be discriminated at school when she was younger. "All transgenders have their phases. When I was still a homosexual, I went through a lot of problems at school. Later, in high school, I had problems with prejudice again. I was taking a technical course in logistics and didn't manage to conclude the third year."

As soon as the ofensive calls kept coming, Marianna asked for her mother's support. Together, they decided to go to the Army barracks and talk to the commander about the occurence. That's when the capitain apologized for the soldiers' infantilism.
Reportedly, the author of the photos and the person resposibible for the disclosure of both her images and personal data has not been identified yet.

Marianna Lively had her enlisting sheet at the Brazilian Army

disclosed on the Internet (Photo: Personal file)

Disrupted rotine

Marianna said that ever since the occurence she has not staye in her mother's house. "I am afraid someone does something to me. I've been staying in relatives' houses."
She decided to go to the Police after militaries from the Army dropped by her house. "They told my mom that they would like to take us to the barracks, but I was not in and we didn't go. I found it strange", said Marinna. Last Monday (28), Marianna said that a military with a tag that read "Gomes" on his chest dropped by looking for her, but asking: "Does David live here?"

No birthday party

Marianna became 18 on Sunday, September 27th, but the date went bland. "How can I party? No way. I didn't do anything. My mother is still shocked."

Patricia Gorisch, lawyer and presidente of the National Committee for Homossexual

Rights from the Brazilian Institute for Family Rights (Comissão Nacional de Direito Homoafetivo do Instituto Brasileiro de Direito de Família), is following up the case. "She went to do something that is mandatory, emabrrasing due to being in a barracks, fulfill her civic duty, swear the flag and just after leaving the military environment, she started receiving the messages. That's transphobia."

Patricia informed that she will report the case to the Brazilian Army so that the crime may be investigated on military terms.

"The Internet is not a no-man's land. We will report it to the National Secretary of Human Rights as it is important that the government takes a stand on the case. There has been a military and a civil crime, disrespect of the Children and Adolescent's Statute (ECA - Estatuto da Criança e do Adolescente). There is also the Law 10.948/01, which punishes transphobia administratively, with very severe penalties in financial terms. Whoever shares or spreads hatred on the Internet will also be punished", said the lawyer.

 

Marianna Lively was photographed while she enlisted in the Brazilian Army (Photo: Personal file)

Last Sunday, on Fantástico show, Marianna gave an interview that reached millions of Brazilian homes. Transphobia has to be fought with the power of the law, education and information. Hopefully, the bigots will either learn or at least behave as if they did.

Photo by smartphone while this blogger watched the interview on Fantástico

 

Statement by the Army ensuring that an investigation will be conducted and that the soldiers from that enlisting unit will be removed from the position until their misconduct is corrected (Photo by this blogger's smartphone while watching the interview on Fantástico)

 

Patricia Gorish, Marianna's laywer, commenting on the crime and the course of action that has been taken. (Photo by this blogger while watching the interview on Fantástico)

Brazil elections 2014 - Homophobia and Transphobia Haunt

What's happening in Brazil? 

Fundamentalists don't hide they intend to take over. And to achieve their goals, they have been using media, politics and money - a lot of money. Oddly enough, the second biggest parade of Brazil, the largest celebration in Rio, actually, was postponed from September to November because of the City Hall's interference. We stand strong, though. 

World Cup 2104: Dilma Rousseff, violence in Brazilian soccer stadiums and soaring homophobia and transphobia

ENOUGH is ENOUGH - OPEN YOUR MOUTH (CHEGA! - ABRA SUA BOCA)

CURTA A PÁGINA: www.open-your-mouth.eu


Convocando o Governo Federal Alemão e todos os patrocinadores dos XXII Jogos Olímpicos de Inverno de 2014 na Rússia a: ABRIREM SUAS BOCAS!

ENOUGH is ENOUGH - Open Your Mouth (Chega! - Abra a sua boca) é um movimento que envolve diversas ações contra a perseguição russa aos cidadãos LGBT e visa conscientizar as grandes empresas envolvidas em patrocínio com relação a seu papel como formadoras de opinião. De acordo com Alfonso, um dos coordenadores do movimento, a reação da mídia e de grupos unindo-se à campanha tem sido muito grande. A ideia é dialogar com essas empresas e obter uma resposta positiva na luta contra o preconceito. Caso isso não funcione, o grupo poderá lançar mão de outras estratégias para se manifestar contra a homo/transfobia de Vladimir Putin, especialmente durante as Olimpíadas de Inverno.

Veja algumas das maneiras pelas quais eles têm procurado fazer as pessoas pensarem a partir dos slogans de suas marcas prediletas. Todas as fotos são montagens que 'brincam' com os slogans para falar sério sobre Direitos Humanos:

NOTA: Informações fornecidas pelo próprio coordenador do grupo na Europa.

President Dilma Rousseff receives LGBT activists after the protest wave

President Dilma Rousseff receives LGBT activists, avoids talking about ‘gay cure’ and condemns discrimination

Dilma (center) meets up with assessors and LGBT actvisits 

in her office on June 28, 2013.

photo by Veja magazine

by Sergio Viula

After the protest wave that swept Brazil nationwide in the last two weeks, President Dilma Rousseff started to lead a series of meetings with social movements. This June 28, against all odds, she finally received a group of LGBT activists. Dilma has been resistant to any approach related to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues.

Dilma’s misdeeds in education and health

In May, 2011, she banned a project on education against homophobia in public schools handing in to noisy pressure by the evangelical board of deputies and senators in the Congress.

In March, 2013, her government banned an HIV prevention campaign. The video advertisement included two young men who met in a disco and recommended safe sex. The video was aimed at people who are more statistically prone to take risks which includes men that age, gender and sexual orientation. Not only that, but Dilma’s government is also supposed to have allowed changes in HIV-AIDS prevention and treatment programs so as to please the evangelical wing amidst her supporters, so much so that even Dr. Pedro Cherquer, co-founder of the National Program of AIDS, nowadays known as VD, AIDS and Viral Hepatitis Department of the Health Ministry, has spoken on the throwbacks in prevention policies that will probably have an impact on the increase of the epidemic. Dr. Cherquer is no longer the man in charge of UNAIDS Brazil.

This year, he decided to resign his position with UNAIDS. In his farewell note to co-workers, he regrets that threatens and throwbacks have become more present on a daily basis within the Federal administration, but he firmly stated that defying opponents “only enhance our motivation to go on, in a perseverant and fearless way, fighting for the principles which we consider to be the corner stone of a free and democratic society – a secular State, respect towards diversity in its several ways, scientific validity for the setting of public policies and democratic and dialectic debate aiming at the institutions improvement”. He severely criticized conservative and fundamentalist sectors as to their prejudiced and dogma-based opposition to policies that play a central role in prevention and treatment of HIV-AIDS.

Dr. Pedro Chequer, born in 1951 in Chapada Diamantina, state of Bahia, Brazil, is an expert in public health and sanitary dermatology. He also has a Master’s degree in epidemiology by the University of California in Berkeley (USA).

President Dilma finally receives LGBT representatives

Different from Dr. Chequer, who takes a clear stand for diversity and against prejudice, including homophobia and transphobia, President Dilma Rousseff has never used the word gay, lesbian, transsexual, transgender, transvestite, bisexual or even LGBT in any of her speeches or interviews throughout her mandate.

Now that her popularity has dramatically fallen from 57% to mere 30% - a decrease of 27%, the biggest loss since DATAFOLHA (a Brazilian institute of statistics) was founded -, Dilma is desperate to connect to people who she had never really accepted to officially meet and whose requests she had never shown willingness to hear.

No wonder, she has not said a single word about her session with the LGBT commission. Every single word about that meeting issued by Brazilian newspapers have come from an LGBT advocate, Mr. Toni Reis, and the Minister of Human Rights, Ms. Maria do Rosário.

According to Toni Reis, the president avoided talking about PDC 234/11, a proposal to rule in favor of “gay reversion therapy,” which has been widely named as the “Gay Cure” project. The fundamentalist Deputy João Campos’ proposal has drawn millions to the streets since March this year to protest against such a violation of human rights. Any healthy mind would boggle at how Marco Feliciano – one of the most prominent homophobes in the country – could be elected to direct the Human Rights Committee of the Federal Chamber of Deputies. As soon as he got the job, he worked to the fullest of his energy to advance João Campo’s proposal.

Also according to Reis, the president said that it’s the State’s obligation to prevent violence against LGBT citizens. Not surprising, though.

Not only has Dilma Rousseff’s approval fallen 27%, but also a federal report has found an astonishing increase of 166% in homophobic reported cases last year. Her meeting with LGBT activists took place one day after that report’s release.

"The president said that the State has an obligation to defend and halt violence against the LGBT community – and such statement is very important coming from the highest authority of the Republic,” said Toni Reis, Secretary of Education of the Brazilian Association of Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals, Transvestites and Transexuals (ABGLT).

According to Minister of Human Rights, Maria do Rosário, the president has taken a “very clear” stand against all forms of violence and discrimination in Brazil. “She has set her government against all kinds of violence which any Brazilian may go through, sympathized and determined that we take concrete initiatives to face any violence against the LGBT community.”

The National System to Fight Violence against Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transgender (LGBT)

The first public audience led by the National System to Fight Violence against Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transgender (LGBT) took place last June 25 in Rio de Janeiro. The objective is to integrate actions by the federal, state and municipal government to fight homophobia and promote respect for diversity.

The system is designed to qualify and widen up attendance on LGBT population, their families, friends and victims of discrimination, besides maximizing actions in the field of human rights, public security and social assistance. The objective is to set a threefold formed by LGBT councils, co-ordinations and state/city plans in all states and municipalities.

The LGBT National System will remain under public consultation in several states until Monday, 29. It is expected to be launched this year and will integrate all entities in the country, which work disjointedly. It is intended that public policies in federal level are implemented in agreement with states and municipalities, reaching out all Brazilians.

The Brazilian LGBT community does hope to see progressive policies set by the federal government. Would it be the case that President Rousseff’s silence does not mean omission, but strategy? If her government really manages to work in favor of LGBT rights or against homophobia and transphobia, if her ministers, secretaries, assessors and other assistants do put things to work in their fields of action, if they make room for the entities willing to work in that direction, and if the LGBT organizations and activists work for the benefit of the cause instead of trying to personally profit from such an opportunity, then we might be able to see more than a couple of friendly handshakes for the photographers. That’s what the LGBT community, as a whole, is really looking forward to.

RIO: MARCH AGAINST HOMOPHOBIA AND 'GAY CURE' - JUNE 28, 2013

Protesters call for the removal of Deputy Marco Feliciano from the presidency of the Human Rights Committee of the Chamber of Deputies (Photo: Kátia Carvalho/Estadão Conteúdo).

Protesters hold a demonstration in Rio, calling for the criminalization of homophobia

 (Photo: Marcelo Piu/ Agência O Globo).


By Sergio Viula

Update on Jan 9th, 2025

English

On June 28, 2013, around a thousand protesters gathered in downtown Rio de Janeiro to protest against the "gay cure" bill approved by the Human Rights Committee of the Chamber of Deputies, chaired by Deputy Marco Feliciano. The demonstration began at the Candelária Church and marched to the City Council of Rio de Janeiro, lasting over four hours. During the protest, participants expressed their opposition to the bill and called for Feliciano's resignation from the presidency of the committee.

Psychologist Fernanda Haikal, from the Regional Psychology Council, participated in the protest and criticized the bill, stating that "it is not a disease, nor a choice, but a condition."

This protest was part of a series of demonstrations across the country against the "gay cure" proposal, which aimed to allow psychologists to offer treatments for homosexuality. The bill sparked widespread controversy and led to intense debates about the rights of the LGBT community in Brazil.

In July 2013, Deputy João Campos, the bill's author, decided to shelve it following public pressure and mass protests.

These demonstrations highlighted the importance of social mobilization in defending human rights and fighting discrimination.

Português:

Em 28 de junho de 2013, aproximadamente mil manifestantes se reuniram no Centro do Rio de Janeiro para protestar contra o projeto de "cura gay" aprovado pela Comissão de Direitos Humanos da Câmara dos Deputados, presidida pelo deputado Marco Feliciano.

O ato teve início na Igreja da Candelária e seguiu até a Câmara Municipal do Rio de Janeiro, durando mais de quatro horas. Durante o protesto, os participantes expressaram sua oposição ao projeto e pediram a saída de Marco Feliciano da presidência da comissão.

A psicóloga Fernanda Haikal, do Conselho Regional de Psicologia, participou da manifestação e criticou o projeto, afirmando que "não se trata de uma doença, nem uma opção, mas de uma condição".

Esse protesto foi parte de uma série de manifestações em todo o país contra a proposta de "cura gay", que visava permitir que psicólogos oferecessem tratamentos para a homossexualidade. O projeto gerou ampla controvérsia e levou a debates intensos sobre os direitos da comunidade LGBT no Brasil.

Em julho de 2013, o deputado João Campos, autor do projeto, decidiu arquivá-lo após a pressão pública e os protestos em massa.

Essas manifestações destacaram a importância da mobilização social na defesa dos direitos humanos e na luta contra a discriminação.