During the last elections, the gay kit gained fame throughout Brazil. According to current president Jair Bolsonaro, it would be a kit that should be distributed in public schools throughout Brazil.
But, as it turned out later, it was all just a Fake News. No such material was ever distributed.
However, the fact that the current president used this as a way to leverage supporters revealed a still very serious problem in Brazil: homophobia. However, even with many people supporting the politician's "indignation", a force proved to be powerful amid hateful and bigoted comments.
And gay set' that never existed has become a reality.
After so much controversy involving such material, a company decided to take advantage of the discussion to actually create a gay kit that was distributed at Rock in Rio, considered one of the biggest music festivals in the world.
Source: Care2
And Bolsonaro's strategy of demoralizing the LGBTQ+ cause actually put a huge spotlight on it, showing many people the importance of debating diversity and acceptance.
During the festival, the Doritos brand distributed more than 3 kits. In them, there were flags and fanny packs colored with the spectrum of the rainbow, which is the official symbol of the movement.
From teenagers to the elderly, everyone was proudly stamping their colors, thus revealing that, although there are many prejudiced people and extremist conservatives in Brazil, the number of individuals who seek a more egalitarian society that embraces everyone without distinction is much greater.
The gay kit was present in the brand's VIP area, and according to Carolina Frydman, responsible for the space, the action was a real success. And one of the curious facts is that it wasn't just the LGBTQ + that adhered to the materials and accessories. On the contrary, many straight people, as a sign of support and equality, also went to collect their gifts to show everyone the colors of the rainbow.
And the Doritos brand didn't stop at just distributing the gay kit. She also released a special edition of her packaging, the Doritos Rainbo.
The snack brought the colors of the rainbow as a way of supporting the cause. In addition, the company stated that all money raised from the sale of this edition will be reverted to LGBT support institutions.
Rock in Rio itself also decided to show its political position on the subject. for the first time in history, the event's official store offered a full color T-shirt for sale, thus showing its support.
To give you an idea of the success of the outfit, on the second night, all size S shirts were already sold out.
If, on the one hand, the gay kit, even though it never existed, raised a debate around the distribution of materials with certain contents for young people, on the other hand, it also highlighted a serious problem in Brazil, crimes due to homophobia.
According to data collected by the UOL website, between 1963 and 2018, 8.027 LGBT people were murdered in Brazil, due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. The data were provided by Julio Pinheiro Cardia, former coordinator of the Directorate for the Promotion of LGBT Rights at the Ministry of Human Rights.
The information was gathered from a request by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights at the end of 2018, and was delivered to the AGU (Advocacy General of the Union). All this data was already under the power of the Federal Government.
However, in recent years he has chosen to withhold the release of reports on the matter. And this shows how conservative politicians still negatively influence the issue of human rights and the LGBTQ+ community.
This is just one of the data that shows how serious the situation is in Brazil. Still according to the report that was delivered to the AGU.
The document shows that between 2011 and 2018, Disque 100 registered 16.326 cases reporting 26.938 violations. In addition, in 2018 alone, the helpline received 667 calls from people who claimed to have suffered physical violence because they belonged to the LGBTQ+ community.
In addition, the channel also received around 1.871 allegations of psychological violence.
All this shows that crimes against LGBTQ+ people are constantly increasing, even as debates around the subject also increase. And one of the factors may even be the strength that many conservative politicians, including Jair Bolsonaro, have gained in recent years.
Despite the situation still being extreme in Brazil, some things have created a light at the end of the tunnel for those seeking a more egalitarian society. Starting with the fact that brands like Doritos have positioned themselves in favor of the rights of the LGBTQ+ public, through actions such as the gay kit.
Source: kicking
In addition, in the year 2019 a new battle was won. The Federal Supreme Court (STF) determined in June of that year that any type of discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity is now considered a crime, with the same consequences as crimes of racism.
Now, this type of conduct is punishable by the Racism Law (7716/89). Currently, this law provides for punishments for people who commit crimes of prejudice and discrimination based on “race, color, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation and national origin”.
Of course, this is just one step in the fight. At the time of the elections, for example, the number of reports of crimes of this kind increased dramatically.
However, the fact that many people, and now companies, are mobilizing for the cause shows that the cause has gained new supporters. Including those who are not part of the LGBTQ+ audience.
What is your opinion about the Doritos action at Rock in Rio? Do you think that the gay kit, containing really informative material on subjects such as sexuality, gender and sexual orientation, can help in the debate?
