Since far-right politician Jair Bolsonaro was elected president in October 2018, Brazil has faced significant cultural changes – mostly by force. In addition to threatening the rights of women, people of color and LGBTQ communities, the president has also taken multiple measures to censor artwork that’s contrary to his ultra-conservative and fundamentalist views. Ironically, some of his biggest critics have been using culture and art to challenge him.

After effectively assuming power in January 2019, the Bolsonaro administration has sought to censor media that is pro-LGBTQ or includes messages in defense of diversity and inclusion. For instance, the president has imposed censorship against ANCINE, the national film promotion agency, as well an advertisement by Banco do Brasil for focusing on “diversity.” 

His presence has also emboldened other far-right politicians to do the same. At the beginning of the year, Rio de Janeiro Gov. Wilson Witzel, who is ideologically aligned with Bolsonaro, canceled an exhibition and artistic performance that illustrated the torture present during Brazil’s period of military dictatorship. In September, Marcello Crivella, the mayor of the city of Rio de Janeiro, and evangelical fundamentalist pastor Marcelo Crivella ordered every copy of Avengers: The Children’s Crusade be taken off sale in the city because one of the pages included two male teenagers kissing. Last year, Crivella also closed a venue that was showing a play where a trans person was cast as Jesus Christ.

Full article at Remezcla’s website. Date of publication: 24/10/2019.