This issue precedes the shameful comments made by conservative politicians after transgender actor Thammy Miranda starred in a Father's Day commercial earlier this month. And if nothing is done, extreme cases like the exile of congressman Jean Wyllys in 2018, following threats related to his sexuality, could become commonplace.
These two events, among the long list of other similar cases in recent years, highlight how the spread of hate speech by Brazilian legislators has already crossed the line of emotional and psychological threats. Disseminated by politicians, hate speech is increasingly used to legitimize physical and institutional violence against minorities.
It is no longer about inflammatory speech and tweets, but about targeted violence.
