The ebb and flow of gender and sexuality education in Brazil: Exploring the interaction between LGBTQIA+ civil society and the State

• In Event: Policies for gender justice in education across different geographies: The role of feminist actors in countering the 'gender ideology' fallacy

Proposal

This article seeks to analyze the resistance articulated by the LGBTQIA+ organized civil society in Brazil during the extreme-right conservative Jair Bolsonaro's mandate (2019-2022), with a focus on public education. The case of Brazil constitutes a particularly interesting scenario of LGBTQIA+ social, cultural political and economic history marked by both progress and setbacks (Prado, Maracci & Monteiro, 2021).

A combination of different analytical frameworks in the field of social movements and collective action are used not only to reveal the discursive strategies used by the involved actors, but also the political opportunities accounting for systemic, relational and political factors. Likewise, the repertoires of action and knowledge practices that were used to advocate for gender and sexuality education policies in times of crisis. Methodologically, the article is based on a qualitative approach, which uses a combination of documentary analysis and semi-structured interviews (N=22) with activists, researchers, scholars, government officials, politicians and other key actors from across the country at the three levels of the Brazilian State (federal, stadial, municipal). By taking into account the multi-scalar nature of the policy process, this study gains a more nuanced understanding of the global and local forces at play and the varying capacities and strategies mobilized by different actors with an interest in shaping gender and sexuality policies.

The preliminary results reveal a multifaceted response from civil society actors to creating advocacy coalitions to resist the direct attacks to gender and sexuality education embedded in Bolsonaro’s administration, which incorporated anti-gender agenda as part of the government’s strategy. These coalitions emerged already around 2016, when a regressive political context began. They bring together diverse actors such as lawyers, teachers, professors, researchers, specialists and activists. The Conselho Nacional Popular LGBTI, became a key coalition as it united more than 25 LGBTQIA+ organizations to counterbalance anti-gender policies within the government. The findings also show that transformative framing strategies were primarily used and they managed to challenge the “gender ideology” fallacy which was gaining terrain not only in Brazil, but also around the globe alongside new conservative governments. Despite the limited political opportunities for civil society participation, the articulated resistance in the forms of coalitions navigated through judicial mechanisms, such as the Amicus Curiae, to put an end to censorship of projects of law, such as “Escola sem Partido”.

All in all, the resulting valuable knowledge and collective reflection which drove informed decision-making shows that, despite challenges, LGBTQIA+ civil society in Brazil demonstrated resilience in their pursuit of gender equality during one of the most critical times for the country after the dictatorship. Civil society actors responded dynamically to fight against an undemocratic government which not only directly attacked gender and sexuality education policies but also depurated human rights by using extreme-right conservative strategies, mirroring other scenarios around the world.

Author

• Xènia Gavaldà Elias, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona