IGTA Worldwide Reports
BRASIL
Brazil: Its illusionary freedom.
Astrid Bodstein
All around the world thousands of people still believe that Brazil is a tropical paradise where the sun shines all year long with sexual tolerance for everyone. This is unfortunately a terrible misconception, a perfect vision that has got nothing to do with the Brazilian reality.
Although this vision is the image the average Brazilian tries to sell to the rest of the world, its about time to unmask this pseudo-freedom in the name of those who carry the burdens of prejudice and third class citizenship.
The transsexuals are amongst the amongst the various distinct social groups that have had their rights denied. Branded for life as a freak, we transsexuals must then must then face all kinds of prejudice and humiliation. We must endure constant infringements of our most basic rights, and after all that behave ourselves as 'good' citizens.
everybody knows that transsexualism is hardly understood or accepted, no matter where in the world. But when it comes to Brazil one must make the picture of a tentimes worse intolerance. How can a transsexual live normally in a country that despises his/her dignity and right to persue happiness? In Brazil a transsexuals routine is filled with predudice and insults.
For instance, the doctors who agree to hormonal therapy for TSs are barred from providing such treatment for their patients due to the restrictive federal medicine departments regulations that classify hormonal therapy for transssexuals as 'unethical'. That to goes for face feminisation and breat implants. Most of them charge a fortune for these career-endangering surgeries. On top of that, many incompetent Brazilian psychologists insist on banding TSs as insane individuals in need of mind-healing therapy.
Brazilian law forbids sex change surgeries considering them Maiming procedures. Now the time has come for us Transsexuals to ask Brazilian Authorities about their responsibility for the amputation of our civil rights and individual liberty. Who is going to do something about such crimes against human rights?
And the insensibility of Brazilian laws goes on ad infinitum. ID cards cannot be legally altered due to lack of legal precedents. Thus, any Brazilain post-op transsexual returning from a foreign country where he/she had the operation performed) will inevitably be humiliated by bad policemen because of teh indiscrepencies between his/her ID card and his/her appearance.
Though much less in number, sometimes there is good news. This year a new law proposal will be submitted to the National Congress. if approveed this new law will fianaly legalise sex change surgeries and ID cardssituation. The Catholic Church has condemmed the proposals. This law may be our door to happiness. I here invite you to sympathise with the transsexual cause. The best way to help is to send supportive letters to the local congressman who is advocating the new law. His name and address is:
Dep. Fed. José Coimbra
Câmara dos deputados
Brasília-DF / Brasil
It is vital that the Brasilian ruling class notice that the international community is watching. Our leadership has to get aware of the international expectancies about Brazil's social evolution.
After all I have told you, I guess you are now able to imagine how bitter a TSs life can be in Brazil. It takes courage and will power to build a path to dignity out of the numerous stones thrown at us. We have our own group called Grupo Brasileiro de Transsexuals (GBT), it has been doing a consistant and remarkable job considering its low finance.
If you would like to help or a TS in Brazil the address is:
Grupo Brasileiro de Transsexuals
Caixa Postal 1097
Cuiabá-MT
CEP 78005-970
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