Beard of the Week LI: Promoter & Defender of Equality
This week's beard belongs to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (born: 1945), the president of Brazil. Lula was first elected in October 2002; he was re-elected in October 2006, extending his term until 2011. Upon the first news of his first election, the Sydney [Australia] Morning Herald lead with this news:
Sao Paulo: Leftist former union chief Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has been elected Brazil's president by a landslide, in an historic vote that gave Latin America's biggest country its first working class leader.
["Lula elected president of Brazil", Sydney Morning Herald, 28 October 2002.]
I like that really, really liberal phrase "leftist former union chief"!
I've read some news reports that tell me there are interesting things about Lula's administration to talk about, but there is only one aspect that brought him to our attention here at Beard of the Week–aside from his handsome beard, of course–and that's the strong stand he's been taking lately in favor of gay and lesbian equality in his country, positions that are national, perhaps, but still seen around the world.
In June of this year, Lula denounced homophobia as a "perverse disease" ("Brazil's President Denounces Homophobia", Joe.My.God, 10 June 2008). The occasion was his landmark opening of a conference on LGBT rights in Brazil. This report of the event is interesting for the biases the writer reveals:
BRASILIA, Brazil, June 9, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) – June 5 was a landmark day for the international homosexual movement. For the first time in history, the president of a nation officially launched a conference with the sole purpose of promoting and defending the homosexual agenda.
Brazilian President Luiz Lula had the First National Conference of Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals, Transvestites and Transsexuals (GLBT), inaugurated by presidential decree, and called for "a time of reparation" in Brazil.
[…]
After calling for a universal embrace of the homosexual movement, the president affirmed that "homophobia" is perhaps "the most perverse disease impregnated in the human head."[Julio Severo, "Brazilian President: Opposition to Homosexuality is a 'Perverse Disease'", LifeSiteNews.com, 9 June 2008.]
That would be enough for President Lula to win the "Promoter and Defender of the Homosexual Agenda" Award, but there's more.
More recently, in an interview on TV Brazil that he gave on 17 September 2008, Lula spoke in favor of civil unions for gays and lesbians in Brazil:
"There are men living with men, women living with women, and many times they live a balanced and even extraordinary life," stated the president. "The one thing that really bothers me is the fact the the politicians who are against civil unions never refuse a gay vote, and the state (which denies gays of civil unions) does not refuse taxes paid by homosexuals. Why is that? The only thing that matters is that these individuals are Brazilian citizens, and respect the Constitution. The rest is up to them, and I am in favor of civil unions," he added.
["Brazilian President In Favor Of Civil Unions", Made in Brazil, 18 September 2008.]
When reporting on this story ("Brazil's President backs same-sex unions", 19 September 2008), PinkNews noted this interesting fact: "Homosexuality has been legal in Brazil since 1823 and civil unions are allowed in some areas."
PFLAG (Parents, Friends, and Families of Lesbians and Gays) had this to say about Lula's call for LGBT equality:
It's wonderful to see progress on all fronts, and in other nations. Imagine if we here in the States had a president who was willing to proclaim their support for LGBT equality. Perhaps one day it will happen.
["President of Brazil Steps Up for LGBT Rights", PFLAG National Blog, 18 September 2008.]
I agree except that I'd prefer to say that one day it will happen.
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* [source; original caption:] "CAMP DAVID, MARYLAND – MARCH 31: BrazilIan President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva speaks during press conference with U.S. President George W. Bush March 31, 2007 at Camp David, Maryland. Bush and Lula are meeting to discuss world trade and global promotion of ethanol use. (Photo by Ron Sachs-Pool/Getty Images)"
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To thwart spam, comments by new people are held for moderation; give me a bit of time and your comment will show up.
I welcome comments -- even dissent -- but I will delete without notice irrelevant, rude, psychotic, or incomprehensible comments, particularly those that I deem homophobic, unless they are amusing. The same goes for commercial comments and trackbacks. Sorry, but it's my blog and my decisions are final.
on Wednesday, 1 October 2008 at 04.00
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>>>>It's wonderful to see progress on all fronts, and in other nations.
All is not well. You are conspicuous in not blogging about the rise of Islam worldwide, and its threat to the sort of liberal democracy you champion. I wonder what your thoughts are, and if you are willing to do anything about the threat.
Here is a link to some of the concerns, such as open homosexuals being beaten up in the streets of Amsterdam by Muslim youth.
on Monday, 6 October 2008 at 13.10
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It's an interesting comment, Fred. Not blogging (much, at least) about some of these topics is a conscious choice on my part. The reasons why, I think, will take more explanation. I've been thinking about that and I intend to post something separate about it, provided I don't get distracted, of course.