Brazilian feminists fight back

It looks like Brazilian left-wing parties are the latest to be taken over by misogynists. The story of Patrícia Lélis is covered by Julian Vigo here and it is, as she says, depressingly familiar.

Brazilian Feminists have released a a manifesto (Portuguese original). English translation follows.

We, women and organizations of the left, affiliated to parties or not, present through this Manifesto our disavowal of the recurrent practices of silencing women and of the attacks on our constitutional right to freedom of expression and on the fight for our rights.

In Brazil, as is happening worlwide, we are constantly suffering threats and accusations of "transphobia" simply for talking about our material condition or for defending our sex-based rights. As Magdalen Berns said: "It is not hate to defend your right, and it is not hate to speak the truth."

We invite you to read this manifesto and we count on your support by signing this document. 

MANIFESTO REPUDIATING THE SYSTEMIC SILENCING OF WOMEN BY BRAZILIAN LEFT-WING PARTIES 

We, women and organizations on the Left, affiliated to parties or not, present through this Manifesto our disavowal at the recurrent practices of silencing women, attacking our constitutional right to freedom of expression and to fight for our rights. From the Right, we didn’t expect any different. However, from people and organizations on the Left, we expected another stance. On July 8th, 2021, the Workers' Party (PT) issued a “repudiation note” to one of its affiliates, the journalist Patrícia Lélis, for alleged “transphobia”, with the warning that it will “apply statutory rules to her case”. Patrícia had spoken on her social media about the Wi Spa case, in Los Angeles, in which a male individual, declaring himself a woman at the reception, gained access to the women's only area and undressed, thus exposing his male genitals to the women and girls present. The case has had wide repercussions on social media and news outlets. 

This episode illustrates the systemic silencing of women undertaken by Left-wing parties (as also undertaken by other organizations, social movements and the media). It also shows that parties use double standards to deal with issues involving their politicians or affiliates. Below are four examples that substantiate this view: 

1. In the same week that the PT issued a repudiation note on its website against Lélis, Niterói councilwoman Verônica Lima (PT), a black and lesbian activist, was verbally abused by councilor Paulo Eduardo Gomes (PSOL), that hurled at her "You want to be a man? Then I'll treat you like a man!" The same PT did not demand punishment for the councilor, limiting itself to a note of support to its councilwoman, by the Women's Secretariat. Likewise, the PSOL, also a Left-wing party, only issued a note by its Local Directory informing that its politician made a "self-criticism" and that he "recanted". 

2. On September 14th, 2020, Lana de Holanda, PSOL trans activist who worked in the office of parliamentarians Marielle Franco, Mônica Francisco and now Mônica Benício, stated the following about the accusations of “transphobia” by writer JK Rowling: “Sorry, I'm not going to talk about JK Rowling. I prefer to spend my time washing my hair. I just hope the transgenders in England will cut her up, kill her. After all, aren't we so violent, according to her book? Let's be really violent, then”. After pressure from women, Lana simply deleted her tweet. There was no punishment; in fact, on November 9th of the same year, Lana once again attacked women who spoke out against rape culture and in a Radical Feminist act: “I just saw the banners of radical feminists in yesterday's act in São Paulo. The so-called 'Women at War' are nothing but a bunch of racist and transphobic whites, who continue to create and reinforce categories of human beings. They are the scum of feminism. Shameful. (...) It's a good thing for them that the pandemic allows them to wear masks and cover their shameful faces.” No action was taken.

3. Elected co-deputy Raquel Marques (REDE-SP) was expelled from the Collective Mandate to which she was legitimately elected and whose official representative is Mônica Seixas (PSOL-SP). The reason: she wrote on her social media that “I wish that one day issues surrounding childhood and adolescence rights would cause the Left the same indignation that transphobia causes”; the sentence was considered an “act of transphobia” and she was given to chance to defend herself prior from being expelled. After strong pressure, especially from the motherhood militants that elected the Mandate, the co-deputy was reinstated. 

4. Although the PT was quick to publicly accuse a woman of “transphobia”, it affiliated and launched the candidacy for councilor of Indianare Siqueira, a trans activist that was convicted and served prison time for proxenetism in France. Indianare was previously affiliated to PSOL, whose expulsion report of its former member mentions serious accusations, including threats to a female affiliate of the PSOL. 

Despite the consequences that a public accusation of "transphobia" entails for the image, reputation, mental health and physical safety of the accused women, it should be noted that neither the PT nor the PSOL explained what exactly constituted “hate” or “phobia” in the public statements of the two aforementioned women. 

It is important to point out that women have struggled for many years to create exclusive spaces and continue to do so. The first women's bathroom in the Brazilian Senate, for example, dates only back to 2016! Furthermore, forcing a woman to view someone else's nudity is a crime and indicates dangerous behavior that can evolve into more serious crimes, as demonstrated by the murder of Sarah Everard, in the United Kingdom, by a man previously denounced for the conduct known, in the UK, as “indecent exposure”, a complaint ignored by the local police. Days before Sarah's kidnapping, rape and murder, the perpetrator had once again exposed himself to a cafeteria worker. 

Issues related to sex and gender are subject to intense theoretical and legal debates. They are far from pacified and the introduction of the recognition of the “right to gender identity” in its current form has had undeniable impact on the sex class of girls and women, whether in the United States (where the Wi Spa case took place), in Brazil or at a world event like the Olympics. The Left needs to recognize this with honesty, listening to all sides on the issue and looking for solutions that won’t make women even more vulnerable. 

By accepting the idea that to exercise our freedom of expression or to fight for our rights is a crime, an act of “transphobia”, “hate speech”, or a “personal opinion”, the Left legitimizes the growth of violence against us. For instance, the women who participated in a peaceful demonstration at the Wi Spa were victims of aggression from activists who legitimized their actions by the notion that the women were “transphobic”. Activists, feminist organizations and social movement cadres are being accused of “conservatism” and “fascism”, something incompatible with their trajectories. 

It’s important to remember that the Brazilian Constitution (1988) guarantees every citizen the right to free expression of thought (art. 5) and, with regard to journalism, prohibits any and all

censorship of a political, ideological or artistic nature (art. 220). Every woman has the right to publicly express herself, based on her experiences, worldview or theoretical background, regardless of her ideology, religion or political orientation. In practice, however, women are still prevented from fully exercising such rights, being the only group to whhttps://forms.gle/fDXSmUjHgX2ujTKr9ich the Left currently doesn’t recognize the right to speak about material experiences or to produce epistemology. 

The Left is failing not only its female affiliates and voters, but also women in general, half the country's population and 52.6% of the electorate. The Left is also failing in its commitment to a democratic freedom of expression and information, which guarantees every individual both the right to speak up and to seek and receive ideas and information of all kinds. By embracing a single narrative about “gender” and silencing other views that exist within their own field of action and voters, parties impoverish the debate on relevant national issues: only from a wide range of ideas, data and opinions free from censorship, will it be possible to arrive at the best strategy for solving the conflicts inherent in a democratic society. No authoritarianism is healthy and a real democracy is a system that provides spaces for debate and the resolution of conflicts and collisions of rights. 

Considering all of the above and the urgency of the fight against authoritarianism, we urge Left-wing parties to change their stance when it comes to women. We urge them, in the face of possible ideological conflicts, to always ensure prior listening and honest debate and to weigh the impact of their actions. We specially urge them never to silence one part of the debate, whatever it might be - especially not when it comes to women's voices, historically silenced.

You can sign the manifesto here.

Signatories:

Coletiva SO.MA - Coletiva Sociedade Matriarcal

Raízes da Luta

Cangaceira Radical

Fúria Lavanda

Militância Materna

Brasil Contra Sap

Felinista Radical

Coletiva Time - Táticas Integradas para Meninas e Mulheres

Instituto Mulheres de Voz

Radfem Exausta

Coletiva Mariz

Matriaken

Frente Feminista Autônoma de Lutas Anticoloniais - Frente FALA

Coletiva Autônoma

Coletiva Mare

Gays pela abolição de Gênero

Sáfica Corporation 

Maconhista Radical 

WHRC Norway

Emma Bébinn

Memória Lésbica

Instituto Mulheres de Voz 

CPI Voz materna

Corporación Mujer,Denuncia y muevete 

Sangra Coletiva

Feministas Radicales Abolicionistas Paraguayas (FRAP)

Sapataria podcast

Potência Materna

Garra feminista

Patrícia Lelis 

Raquel Marques

Adriana Faraoni Freitas de Oliveira

Adriana Monteiro

Aissa Almeida

Alana Canuto 

Alana Carvalho 

Alana Claudia Canuto dos Santos 

Alana Oliveira

Alessandra Pereira de Andrade

Aline Marcolino de Souza 

Aline Oliveira

Aline Rodrigues Paiva

Amanda Castilho

Amanda Daher

Amanda Martins Correia

Amanda Pereira Rezende Miranda 

Ana Beatriz de Almeida

Ana Beatriz Manganaro

Ana Beatriz Nogueira

Ana Carla de Carvalho

Ana Carolina Runfe 

Ana Clara Teixeira Menezes Bernardes

Ana Farias Stern

Ana Júlia nicoski Damasio

Ana Júlia Silveira

Ana Júlia Toledo Netto 

Ana Lucia dos Santos Pires

Ana Luíza Rodrigues da Cruz

Ana Luiza Valente

Ana Paula da Silva Martins

Ana Paula Jaroseski

Ana Paula Lima

Ana Paula Lucena

Ana Paula Maximo de Araújo

Ana Paula Pereira Rezende Cabral

Andréa Gabriel de Oliveira

Andressa Belz de Araújo

Andrezza Maria Martins

Angela Maria Lopes Kerber 

Anni Marcelli Santos de Jesus

Antonio Guedes

Aparecida Catarina de Jesus 

Aurora de Lima Garcia

Ayanne Moura 

Barbara Fadul

Barbara Hellen Reis Alves

Beatriz Amorim

Beatriz Danielle Alves

Bellona

Bianca Chella

Bianca Monteiro Alves

Bruna Alexandra C.

Bruna Benedet 

Bruna Bravin Bueno

Bruna Lívia 

Bruna Martins Pimentel

BRuna Melo

Brunna Carvalho

Calina Raíssa

Camila de Freitas Carneiro da Silva

Carolina Cipriano 

Célia Lins

Cerroti de Abreu

Cinthia Lunar

Cíntia Valéria S. Milanese 

Clara Correa

Clarice Tavares

Clarice Saadi

Cláudia Lucciola

Cláudia Machado

Da Costa Sousa 

Daniel Rocha

Daniela Cupka de Oliveira Duarte 

Daniela da silva soares 

Débora Amoras

Débora Cristina Maciel da Silva

Débora Fátima Gregorini

Debora fernandes 

Denise Ramalho

Deyse Corleone 

Drisha Fernandes

Elisa Arruda

Elisa Tolentino

Ellen Clicia Martins Guimarães

Eloisa Samy Santiago

Emilly Silva

Erika Simas Ebsen

Evellyn Silva

Fernanda De Pieri

Fernanda Giron Moreira

Fernanda Junges

Fernanda Soares de Medeiros 

Gabriela Fonseca

Gabriela Levinson

Gabriella Cristina Bueno

Geisielle Hongria

Giulia Montone

Gelli Cristina Ahimed Giordano

Hélida Gomes Euzébio 

Igaci Borges Villas Boas

Indira Mogollón Mantilla 

Ingrid Frank 

Irina Nasteva

Isabella Alves Cêpa

Isabella Neves Passoni

Isabelle Belopede

Isadora Bündchen

Isadora Cavalcante Lima

Ivy Moura

Izabela Jorge Araújo

Izabella Souza 

Jacqueline Belarmino

Janaína Rossi

Janine Scheffer Lummertz 

jaqueline da silva morais

Jaqueline Sanas Zamboni 

Jayne Patricia

João Marcelo Rocha Barbosa 

José Carlos Alves

Júlia Cadó

Júlia Teodoro

Juliana Ribeiro 

Julianna de Souza Cardoso Bonfim

Jussara de Pollo Maia

Karina de Souza Righi

Karla Mauri

Karyna Berenguer

Kelli Freitas de Souza 

Kelly Machado

Kyara Araujo

Lais Borin

Lara Coutinho 

Lara Marinho Souza

Larissa Azevedo

Laura Pingarilho

Laura Teodoro

Lays Brayner

Letícia Alves

Leticia Bueno

Leticia de Oliveira

Lígia Teodoro 

Lilian Reis

Luana Dias Linhares Coelho 

Luana Oliveira 

Luana Rettamozo

Luara Monte Verde Guerra

Luciana Almeida 

Luciana Milton

Maira Gabriele Prudente de Oliveira

Mamede 

Manuela Paiva

Marcela Barbosa Ribeiro 

Marcela Mendonça Cavalheiro

Marceli Cabral

Marcella Cristovam 

Márcia Gregório 

maria Carolina Nunes Freuz da Silveira 

Maria Clara L Kerber

Maria de Fátima Saadi

Maria Eduarda Parreiras

Maria Elizabeth Rodrigues Barbosa

Maria Fernanda Dias

Mariana Dutra Iagla 

Mariana Figueiredo Pereira

Mariana Flor 

Mariana Florêncio

Mariana Machado de Paula Albuquerque

Mariana Martins 

Mariana Soares 

Mariana Victorino 

Marina Joaquim

Marina Mansilia Orefice 

Maristela Maximovitz de Oliveira 

Maya Ruiz

Melissa Alves

Melissa Rocha Corrêa 

Monalisa Almeida 

Mônica Freixo

Monique Vieira

Muriel

Myrian Cipriano

Natale Rodrigues Gomes

Natália Azevedo 

Natasha Salvador

Nathalia Caparro Ferreira

Nicole Silva Mamede 

Nicole Souza

Patrícia Costa

Patricia Duarte 

Patrícia Maiara de Carvalho Santos 

Paula Maia

paula prado

Priscilla Lobo

Rafaela Camargo Micheloni 

Rafaela de Brito Santos

Raiane Albuquerque

Raphaela Luqueci Ramos Alves

Raquel Maria de Lima Nascimento

Renata de Oliveira Voloski

Renata Pamplona 

Roberta Attili 

Rodrigues de Oliveira

Rossanna Pinheiro

Ruana Castro 

Sá

Sabrina de Marchi Inácio

Samantha Kaltner

Sara Domingues Sallum

Sara Girardi

Scarlett Munhoz 

Silvaneia de Andrade

Sophia Fernandes Barreiros

Souza

Stephanie Vieira

Taciana Cotta Machado

Talita Ramos Raimundo

Talita Takayama 

Taydiana Maria Portela da Silveira 

Thais azevedo

Thaís Lucouvicz Dada

Thais Montanini

Thamíris Lopes

Thaysa Freire

Thayza Maria Gonçalo dos Santos

Uenda Dias 

Vanessa Kely Domingues

Verônica Rocha Mynssen de Moraes

Victória Prado

Victoria Tannure Sanches 

Vitor Matheus Chavantes Perez de Andrade

Yuliana Campelo