A prominent politician in Brazil, who plans to challenge Jair Bolsonaro in next year’s presidential elections, has come out as gay.
Eduardo Leite is the 36-year-old governor of the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul. He is a member of the center-right Brazilian Social Democratic Party (PSDB). He has always criticized Bolsonaro’s management of the Covid pandemic.
Leite made the revelation Thursday night in an interview with broadcaster TV Globo.
“I never spoke about a subject related to my private life,” said Leite. “But during this moment of low integrity in Brazil, I have nothing to hide. I’m gay – and I’m a governor who is gay rather than a gay governor.
“Just like Obama in the United States was not a black president, but a president who was black. And I’m proud of it.
His announcement was widely welcomed by LGBTQ advocates at home and abroad. Leite then tweeted: “The countless messages of affection and support I receive leave me absolutely convinced: love will conquer hate!
As inúmeras mensagens de carinho e apoio que estou recebendo me deixam absolutamente seguro: o amor vai vencer o ódio! Muito muito muito obrigado a todos! ❤️
– Eduardo Leite (@EduardoLeite_) July 2, 2021
However, some were quick to remind Leite that he publicly supported Bolsonaro’s presidential candidacy in 2018, even though Bolsonaro has a history of being homophobic.
Related: Bolsonaro Says Brazil Must Stop Being A Country Of ‘Grandfathers’ In Response To COVID
In 2011, Bolsonaro said in an interview with Playboy: “I would be unable to love a gay son,” suggesting that it would be better for such a son to die in a car accident.
In 2018, in a filmed interview, Bolsonaro said: “Yes, I am homophobic – and very proud of it.”
During his presidency, Bolsonaro’s anti-LGBTQ attitudes have remained unchanged. In 2019, he spoke of allowing Brazil to become a “gay tourism paradise”. He has faced constant criticism for his handling of Covid in the country, and at the onset of the pandemic he reportedly told staff the masks were for ‘sissies’.
On Friday, Bolsonaro reacted to Leite’s coming out, describing it as a “calling card” for his campaign.
“I have nothing against his privacy, but he cannot impose his lifestyle on others.”
Related: Brazilian Jair Bolsonaro Denounces The Country’s Gay Tourism As An Insult To ‘Families’
Jean Wyllys, the first openly gay congressman in Brazil, responded to Leite’s coming out by saying that Leite had never withdrawn his support for Bolsonaro.
“This guy had plenty of opportunities to stand up for the LGBT community and he didn’t. On the contrary… he was a Bolsonarist until yesterday – and he probably still is today, because at no time did he withdraw his support for Bolsonaro.
“So I’m not celebrating this. I’m not one of that team of people who commemorate this guy coming out of the closet like he’s a big accomplishment for the LGBT community in Brazil.
The presidential elections in Brazil take place in two stages if no candidate obtains 50% of the votes in the first round. In 2018, the PSDB candidate did not pass to the second round, hence Leite’s vote for Bolsonaro.
Seeming to be in line with this earlier support for the current president, Leite said yesterday on social media that he gave Bolsonaro his vote in 2018, but not his “support”.
“Today it is obvious that the election of Bolsonaro was a mistake. We make mistakes to learn and learn to stop making mistakes.
