With a massive ballot box spanning Paulista Avenue and plenty of fan-waving, the São Paulo LGBT+ Pride Parade drew a huge crowd this Sunday (Jun. 7). Celebrating its 30th anniversary, this year's event adopted the theme “30 years of the São Paulo Pride Parade: The streets call, the ballot box confirms,” sparking debate about the importance of voting and democratic participation in defending the rights of the LGBT+ community.

In October this year, Brazil will hold elections for president, governors, senators, and federal and state representatives.

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The first edition of the São Paulo LGBT+ Pride Parade took place in 1996 at Roosevelt Square. It was not until the following year that the event moved to Paulista Avenue, where it has since become firmly established. Since then, the parade has consistently brought discussions of issues fundamental to the LGBT+ movement into the public sphere, including the recognition of civil unions, the right to gender identity, adoption by same-sex couples, and the criminalization of LGBTphobia, among others. Last year, for example, the event focused on the issue of aging.

“Today marks a milestone for us because all the rights the LGBT+ community enjoys originated here on Paulista Avenue,” said Matheus Emílio Pereira da Silva, director of the São Paulo LGBT Pride Parade Association (APOLGBT-SP).

“In 2005, we addressed the right to civil unions, and a decade later, it was recognized by the Supreme Court. We also addressed the criminalization of LGBTphobia. In 2006, we brought this issue to the forefront, and later the court recognized it as well, equating LGBTphobia with the crime of racism. We have spoken about the rights of the trans community, the right to donate blood, and the right to adopt. All of these were issues that were first brought to the streets of Paulista Avenue before reaching the courts. This demonstrates the importance of the São Paulo Pride Parade over these three decades of struggle,” Silva emphasized.

Despite these achievements, the director of the São Paulo Pride Parade emphasized that there is still a long way to go.

“We need a commitment from our legislature to enshrine these rights in law - and not just through court rulings, as we have today,” he said.

That is why, this year, the Parade’s theme is the elections. “It’s important for us to talk about this to raise awareness among our population, especially LGBT+ people, so that they vote for and elect candidates committed to LGBT rights and to society as a whole - people who don’t legislate only for themselves, but for the people,” Silva stated.

Reduced sponsorship

Although slightly smaller this year due to declining sponsorship, the São Paulo Parade took to the streets with a reduced number of floats, which paraded down Paulista Avenue and Consolação Street before arriving at Republic Square.

According to event organizers, sponsorship revenue dropped by 60 percent this year, affecting not only the parade’s organization but also the social and cultural initiatives promoted by APOLGBT-SP. With fewer resources available, the number of floats fell to 14, down from 17 in 2025. However, the federal government took part in the parade.

“The Ministry of Human Rights has been a regular presence at the parade. The one in São Paulo is the largest in the world, so it’s a joy for us to be here. And this year, the Ministry is running a campaign, ‘Brazil Is of All Colors: For All People,’ and it is important for us to remind and emphasize to the Brazilian public the need to guarantee the rights of the LGBT community,” said Human Rights Minister Janine Mello during an interview with Agência Brasil at the event.

“We have a range of policies targeting different aspects of the LGBTQIA+ community. These range from initiatives focused on empowerment and workplace inclusion to support measures for times of vulnerability. We recently submitted a bill to Congress on the National Policy on LGBT Rights, which will address various issues, including combating violence against LGBTQIA+ people,” the minister added.

The Brazilian Ministry of Human Rights and Citizenship on Thursday (Jun. 4) launched a campaign entitled O Brasil é de Todas as Cores: Para Todas as Pessoas (“Brazil comes in every color – it’s for everyone”).

The initiative aims to provide transparency and present the results of the efforts the government has been taking to guarantee the rights of LGBTQIA+ Brazilians, in addition to expanding the reach of public policies for people in vulnerable situations.

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The launch took place during the 25th edition of the LGBT+ Diversity and Entrepreneurship Cultural Fair, an event promoted by the São Paulo LGBT Pride Parade Association.

According to the ministry, since 2023, more than BRL 61 million has been invested in initiatives aimed at promoting and defending the human rights of this population in Brazil. This investment has made it possible for over 330,000 people in socially vulnerable situations to receive assistance through the National Program for Strengthening LGBTQIA+ Shelter Homes.

In addition, the National Strategy for Decent Work, Education, and Income Generation for LGBTQIA+ People has enabled the training of more than 5,000 people through initiatives that promote economic autonomy, income generation, and expanded opportunities.

Symmy Larrat, national secretary for LGBTQIA+ rights, noted this was the largest budget in history.

“We’re out here face to face with people, showing them what we’ve managed to accomplish despite the blackout we faced [under the previous administration] and the dismantling we endured.”

The fair

The LGBT+ Diversity and Entrepreneurship Cultural Fair is a free festival celebrating culture, entrepreneurship, and civil rights, which brought together more than 180 artists and 100 exhibitors.

Heitor Werneck, the event’s artistic coordinator, explains that the fair was conceived to empower small businesses, generate commercial opportunities, and increase the visibility of LGBTQIA+ entrepreneurs, thereby fostering income generation and the community’s economic development.

Companies as well as the city government, he argued, have been cutting budgets allocated to LGBT+ causes, which has created difficulties not only in maintaining events like the Diversity Fair and the São Paulo Pride Parade, but also in sustaining the social and cultural projects that run throughout the year.

“We put on a huge event and have to go hat in hand, both to city hall and to sponsors,” he said. “And that’s because 98 percent of São Paulo’s hotel capacity is booked. Just here at Pride, we directly employ 1,800 people.”

Pride

The São Paulo LGBT+ Pride Parade will take place next Sunday (7) on Paulista avenue.

This year, the event celebrates its 30th anniversary and is taking to the streets with the motto “The streets call, the ballot box confirms.” The goal is to encourage reflection on citizen rights, democracy, past achievements, and social participation.

“We know we need to be organized in the streets. It was this organized process that led to a victory – the creation of the National Secretariat for the Rights of LGBTQIA+ People. If I am secretary today, it is the result of this struggle, the result of this journey. And we cannot stop taking to the streets even as international hate speech has intensified against us. We remain steadfast in continuing to speak out. We will turn the tide,” Symmy Larrat declared.

Of every ten elementary and high school students who menstruate, six report experiencing severe or moderate cramps that disrupt their school routine and require medication. About four in ten female students (37.1%) miss classes every month due to period pain.

The data can be found in a survey conducted by the Alana Institute in partnership with the Equidade.info Institute and was released for International Menstrual Hygiene Day, celebrated on Thursday (May 28). The date aims to promote discussion and combat stigma and period poverty.

The study was conducted in February this year with 2,551 students – 770 of them menstruating – 303 teachers, and 181 school administrators from public and private schools across Brazil.

Menstrual symptoms

The unprecedented survey reveals that the main menstrual symptom preventing female students from attending classes is cramps, cited by 57.7 percent of respondents. Other menstruation-related issues mentioned are:

• fatigue and body aches (30.1% of respondents);
• headaches (28%);
• stomach pain (20.1%);
• embarrassment and fear of leakage (19.3%);
• lack of restrooms or hygiene products (8.2%).

Absences and tardiness

The figures reveal that menstrual symptoms can lead to approximately two days of absence per month.

Sofia Reinach, one of the leaders at the Alana Institute, explains that absenteeism on days when girls experience pain can affect learning, their connection to school, and educational opportunities, and therefore should be taken seriously.

“Nearly 40 percent of girls in Brazil miss at least one day of school per month due to menstrual pain. This is a substantial portion of the population that needs to be cared for so this does not result in underperformance and a chronic disadvantage in learning.”

The institute underscores the need to recognize pain as a collective problem and suggests adopting protocols for excused absences and providing guidance to teachers. These changes are expected to make students more comfortable and improve the tracking of such cases.

Racial inequality in menstruation

The study also highlights racial disparities. Even though black girls report experiencing fewer severe cramps, they miss more school days.

In this racial breakdown, they miss up to 1.5 times more school days (two to five per month) than white students – 14.5 percent of black students miss two to five days per month due to menstrual issues. Among white students, the rate drops to 9.6 percent.

When examining the experience of pain during menstruation, there is also no consistency across racial groups. White girls report experiencing more intense pain. Among white respondents, 37.5 percent describe their cramps as severe. Among black girls and adolescents, this rate is lower (25.9%). At the same time, 16 percent of black girls say they do not experience menstrual cramps, compared to 8.5 percent of white girls who report feeling no pain at all.

Sofia Reinach concludes that, in reality, the indicator of severe pain underestimates the problem among black female students – they are more likely to normalize their pain because they are culturally taught to believe that pain should not require treatment.

“Black girls are less likely to describe their pain as severe. Apparently they have a higher pain threshold, so they’re less likely to recognize it as debilitating. In reality, though, the impact of the pain keeps them from their activities and from school,” she said.

The expert argues that professionals in the fields of education and health “must unlearn this outdated bias that black bodies feel less pain” or that they are more resilient.

“This perception needs to change. Black girls are in pain – but they talk less about it. Professionals need to be more attentive. Schools must be part of a care network,” she argued.

To ensure that black girls receive proper support and that the impacts of pain are minimized, the specialist in menstrual health and pelvic pain highlights the need for teachers to recognize their students’ pain, for school administrators to ask about it, and for families to get involved.

A project to combat period poverty

In Brasília, advertising major Ana Clara Maimoni rallied her neighbors and acquaintances to collect sanitary pads.

“I’ve always found it preposterous that health clinics give out free condoms but not sanitary pads, and wondered how that affects our lives,” she noted.

Maimoni managed to collect about 1,000 sanitary pads and donate them to a school where students did not have full access to them. The supply was enough to serve the girls for six months.

Her project against period poverty also included a lecture by health professionals to educate the students in Vila Planalto, an economically disadvantaged area in Brazil’s federal capital. “The girls loved it and seemed really excited to participate. They asked lots of questions,” said Maimoni.

According to Maimoni, school is a strategic space to address this issue, and it is precisely education that these girls end up being deprived of when they lack access to the bare minimum needed for menstrual dignity.

“They often don’t talk about it because it’s still considered a taboo in many places,” she pointed out.

Menstrual health education

Many students experience their first period without any guidance on the menstrual cycle, which is why the Alana Institute stresses the importance of discussing menstrual health before a girl’s first period.

“We need to bring discussions about menstrual health in schools forward to elementary school. And we need to take a careful approach and expand care strategies for this age group, especially so that girls experiencing severe pain with early menarche receive closer monitoring,” Reinach said.

Women in education

Brazilian schools suffer doubly from absences, both among female students and teachers. Among the survey’s respondents, 28.3 percent of school administrators reported experiencing severe menstrual cramps, and 16.9 percent of those interviewed had missed work due to menstrual issues.

In the classroom, 15.8 percent of teachers reported experiencing severe cramps, and one in ten teachers (12.1%) missed work at least once in the past year due to menstrual issues.

Considering that 37.1 percent of female students miss school monthly due to menstruation and 64 percent reported moderate or severe cramps, the study suggests that the lower percentage among education professionals, compared to students, may partly reflect greater access to diagnosis, monitoring, and pain management among professionals, as well as the responsibilities of adulthood.

“Women teachers are absent less often than students. At every stage of life when responsibilities increase and professionals see their work threatened by pain, female teachers make a greater effort to cope with this pain in their professional environment,” the study notes.

Sofia Reinach advocates for the adoption of menstrual health policies in schools that include both students and staff, with appropriate protocols for each group. “We need to understand that menstrual pain takes girls and women out of their daily school routine and makes this a cumulative problem. Schools are suffering twice over from these absences, both from students and teachers.”

Lack of knowledge among boys

Menstruation is still poorly understood as a collective issue within schools. The data show that 36.8 percent of male students say they do not think much about the topic – nearly double the percentage among girls (19.7%).

The difference is also evident in perceptions of the menstrual cycle’s impact on daily life – about a quarter of boys and adolescents (23.7%) believe that menstruation can interfere with school or sports, while 41.2 percent of female students acknowledge this negative effect.

“The topic of menstruation needs to cease being taboo. And to achieve that, we need to bring boys into everyday conversations. Menstruation can no longer be a subject limited to girls and women in their private lives,” the expert argued.

The idea is for boys and young men to stop being passive spectators or sources of embarrassment and instead become part of a support network for girls and young women.

*Intern Alice Rodrigues from Rio de Janeiro contributed to this article.

In its 30th edition, the São Paulo LGBT+ Pride Parade is facing a number of challenges. Last week, the city council approved a bill that bans children and adolescents from attending public or private events that “allude to or promote LGBTQIA+ practices,” even when accompanied by parents or guardians.

The bill also prohibits the use and closure of public roads for such events and mandates that they take place only in indoor venues, under penalty of a fine. This includes the LGBT+ Pride Parade, considered one of the world’s largest diversity events and held on Paulista Avenue since 1997.

Legal experts interviewed by Agência Brasil have deemed this proposal unconstitutional. “I believe the bill is unconstitutional, since the Constitution does not permit any discrimination and establishes the principle that all are equal before the law,” said Ariel de Castro Alves, a lawyer and member of the Commission for the Defense of the Rights of Children and Adolescents of the Federal Council of the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB).

“This is a huge smokescreen, because the councilman [who proposed the bill] knows it’s unconstitutional. In Amazonas [state], this bill was passed and the Supreme Court has already ruled that it’s unconstitutional, because no municipality or state can override federal law,” said Nelson Matias Pereira, president of the São Paulo LGBT Pride Parade Association.

This attempt is not new, Pereira pointed out. “They want us to go back into the closet. Ever since we’ve existed, over these 30 years, there’s always been an attempt to put us back in the closet,” he argued.

In the view of drag queen Tiffany, one of the event’s hosts, this bill is primarily the result of a conservative wave sweeping the country. “It’s been 30 years since the first parade, and we know this is nothing more than a wave of conservatism, of prejudice, of wanting to roll back the rights we’ve been fighting to defend for so many years.”

Sponsorship

In addition to the bill, the Pride Parade faces another major challenge this year – according to the organizers, the event has lost about 60 percent of its sponsors, resulting in a smaller parade than in previous years.

Pereira points out that putting the parade on the streets has never been easy. “We’ve held parades without any sponsorship at all.”

In his opinion, the problem affects not only the street event but also others that would need funding to continue, such as the Diversity Fair and social and cultural projects.  “Despite this, our parade is still going strong,” he stressed.

“We’ll have only two sponsors for the parade, but we’ve had six major companies in the past. I know it’s a difficult year – we’ll have the World Cup, and it’s a political year – but this decline has been looming for some time,” he stated.

The importance of voting

Despite so many challenges, this year’s LGBT+ Pride Parade is bringing a political theme to the streets. Scheduled for June 7, this year’s event features the theme “The streets call, the ballot box confirms,” broadening the debate on the importance of voting and political participation. “There is no pride without democracy,” Pereira declared.

“People still have an aversion to politics. Since 2010, every election year we’ve taken on the role of educating the public. That’s what it’s about. If people don’t understand that our lives are decided in the legislative chambers, do you think those straight, cis men are going to consider feminist issues, racial issues? They will not,” he added.

Tiffany, who is 41 years old, has participated in the event since she was 18, and notes that the parade is not just about fun, but about finding a way to engage in politics. “The parade is a moment where we celebrate, have fun, and also fight for our rights. After all, our motto has always been ‘the party is also a struggle.’ So we need to keep fighting and partying,” she argued.

“All these people out on the streets – if they’re committed to their vote and their role as citizens – will go to the polls and make a difference,” she said.

Other events

In addition to the parade on Paulista Avenue, the event organizers are also hosting the Brazilian Meeting of LGBT+ Parade Organizations – an initiative that will bring together more than 90 representatives from all regions of Brazil for discussions, workshops, working groups, and institutional collaborations aimed at strengthening the movement in the country.

This year, the goal is to draft and approve a National Open Letter containing proposals, guidelines, and strategic commitments to strengthen Brazilian LGBT+ parades.

Furthermore, the LGBT+ Diversity and Entrepreneurship Cultural Fair will take place on June 4. For the 25th edition of the fair, 60 tents representing creative communities will be set up, hosting 100 artists and 10 writers.

Among the fair’s highlights is an employment tent, which will offer job openings specifically for LGBT+ individuals. A booth from the São Paulo Municipal Health Department will also be set up to offer rapid HIV and syphilis testing, as well as distribute condoms, lubricant, and HIV self-tests. Participants will also have access to pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis for HIV (PrEP and PEP).

In 2024, Brazil’s homicide rate reached its lowest level since the Atlas of Violence began tracking the data in 2014. The study, conducted annually by the Institute of Applied Economic Research (IPEA) and the Brazilian Forum on Public Safety (FBSP), was released on Tuesday (May 26).

The country recorded 20.1 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, a rate 7.4 percent lower than in 2023. In absolute terms, there were 42,590 homicides in 2024, a decrease of 6.9 percent.

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The study was based on data from the Ministry of Health’s Mortality Information System (SIM) and Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN).

An analysis of the 2014–2024 period shows that the national homicide rate fell by 33.4 percent and the number of homicides decreased by 29.6 percent.

Daniel Cerqueira, coordinator of the Atlas of Violence and a planning and research specialist at IPEA, noted that Brazil is undergoing a major transition. While homicides are declining, the country is experiencing rising insecurity and persistent or even widening inequalities affecting minority populations.

Black people

In 2024 alone, 32,820 homicides of black people were recorded, accounting for 77 percent of all reported homicides. The rate was 27.3 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, equivalent to 89.9 black people murdered each day across the country.

From 2014 to 2024, 435,551 black people were killed in Brazil, compared to 132,156 non-black victims. Although homicide rates declined for both groups, the reductions were uneven, IPEA and FBSP reported. The rate fell by 38.9 percent among non-black people, compared with 21.7 percent among black people.

According to the Atlas of Violence, in terms of relative risk, a black person is 2.7 times more likely to be killed in a homicide than a non-black person.

The homicide rate for young people aged 15 to 29 in Brazil fell by 33.9 percent from 2014 to 2024. The data can be found in the Atlas da Violência 2026 (“2026 Atlas of Violence”), released Tuesday (May 26) by the Institute of Applied Economic Research (IPEA) and the Brazilian Forum on Public Safety (FBSP).

Over the course of this 10-year span, 301,825 young people within this age group were murdered in Brazil – which amounts to a daily 75 and accounts for 46.5 percent of all homicide victims in the country.

According to the atlas, 19,801 young people were murdered in 2024 – a rate of 42.2 homicides per 100 thousand youths.

The study also indicates that, when hidden homicides – probable murder cases that were not officially recorded – are taken into account, the estimated rate rises to 46.1 homicides per 100 thousand youths.

The lowest rate was found in São Paulo state (10.7 per 100 thousand youths), and the highest rates in Amapá (114.7) and Bahia (101.8).

Armed and male

Of the total 19,800 young people murdered in 2024, 18,545 were men – representing a homicide rate of 78 per 100 thousand male youths – nearly double the overall rate.

The study highlights that lethal violence is predominantly male and gun-related, resulting from structural factors and mostly concentrated in poor and marginalized regions.

Of the 54 young people killed daily in 2024, 51 were men. Among teenagers aged 15 to 19, firearms were used in 84.1 percent of homicides.

Daniel Cerqueira, coordinator for the atlas, points out that prior to an individual’s physical death, there is a cycle of violence in their life beginning at birth.

“It’s a wake-up that should get us to decide what we want to do with our children, adolescents, and young people, who are the future of the nation,” he warned.

The survey notes that some 14 children and adolescents aged 0 to 19 were murdered each day in Brazil in 2024.

Teenagers

Lethal violence was most prevalent among teenagers aged 15 to 19, despite a 55.8 percent plunge in the number of homicides, which fell from 10,348 in 2014 to 4,570 in 2024. The rate went from 60.3 homicides per 100 thousand teenagers to 30.5.

The atlas reveals a strong predominance of firearm use in homicides of 15- to 19-year-olds (84.1 percent of cases), suggesting dynamics typical of interpersonal violence in urban contexts.

Domestic violence

Domestic violence was the most common form of violence against children and adolescents from 2014 to 2024, with 676,282 cases reported, broken down as follows:

• 253,199 involving children aged 0 to 4;
• 279,542 involving children aged 5 to 14; and
• 143,541 involving adolescents aged 15 to 19.

Regarding younger children, the recommendation is to adopt strategies that protect children in the home environment, as well as to prevent abuse and identify risky situations before they occur.

An operation by Brazil’s Ministry of Labor and Employment carried out on May 20 rescued 35 workers from slave-like conditions on a farm in the municipality of Gabriel Monteiro, in São Paulo state. Among those rescued was a 17-year-old teenager.

The group was recruited in the Northeast and in rural São Paulo with the promise of formal contracts and adequate housing. The recruitment was carried out by a contractor hired by the farm owner.

However, on the farm, workers had to cut sugarcane by hand using machetes and stand all day, and were exposed to the sun and rain. The workweek ran from Monday to Sunday, with no days off and no formal employment contract.

The team noted the lack of bathrooms and a place to eat, which forced workers to eat while sitting on the ground or in the middle of the field.

“No personal protective equipment was provided, such as boots, gloves, and shin guards, or items to protect against sun exposure, such as hats and sunscreen. Transportation to the work site was provided in buses not authorized to transport workers, and under unsafe conditions,” the ministry reported.

The group lived in two rented houses in a neighboring town. At the site, old mattresses and stoves were found installed inside the bedrooms. There was no bedding, blankets, or closets.

Inspectors ordered the immediate suspension of operations and the dismissal of the workers due to the employer’s fault. The victims were taken to a hotel and are returning to their hometowns, with expenses covered by the farm owner. They will be entitled to receive unemployment benefits.

The farm owner signed a conduct adjustment agreement with labor prosecutors and public defenders which stipulates the payment of BRL 111 thousand for individual moral damages and BRL 150 thousand for collective moral damages. The owner has paid over BRL 415 thousand in severance.