During the past decade, a handful of Latin American countries have made notable progress in recognizing rights to LGBTQ+ people in their legislations.These rights extend beyond same-sex marriage and adoption and also began to include protections against targeted discrimination and acts of violence. Nevertheless, these legislative progress has not really guaranteed the safety or well-being of LGBTQ+ communities as many societies in the region remain deeply influenced by conservative, sexist, homophobic, and transphobic behaviors, which continue to fuel violence against these groups.

To understand the situation of LGBTQ+ people in Latin America we need to highlight the uniqueness of each Latin American country, and that each society within it has different values and structures. Moreover, the term LGBTQ+ encompasses a very diverse group of people, and it can not be forgotten that each sexuality or orientation has a different status and perception in each society. Intersectionality also plays a crucial role, as factors such as African descent, Indigenous origin, or economic status can (and will) intensify these challenges. This analysis aims to explore the intersection of violence towards non-heteronormative individuals and violence, by focusing on trans femicides in Brazil.

It is fair to say that the overall condition of LGBTQ+ people in Latin America is critical, especially when it comes to hate crimes and latent homophobia and transphobia that can, in the worst cases, end in murder. 70% of all trans murders recorded have happened in South and Central American countries, being that 33% of them took place in Brazil and Mexico“ (Pinheiro, 2022).

Brazil is also part of this wave of countries that have been gradually recognizing LGBTQ+ rights in their legislation. In Figure 1 we can see that, at first glance, Brazil seems to be a relatively progressive and protective country towards the LGBTQ+ community; we can see multiple laws against homophobia and transphobia. We can also see that Brazilian public opinion appears divided regarding LGBTQ+ issues. One explanation for this division may be the diversity of Brazilian society as well as the impact of religion on the way of thinking in Brazil, which is counterbalanced by a more liberal secularism that is also spreading in the country.

This duality results in a culture where  “entrenched homophobia feeds from the country’s infamous inequality; a politically influential Evangelical movement with tremendous political sway; and an inauspicious legislative environment, especially a deeply fragmented party system, that makes enacting legislation quite difficult” (Encarnación, 2016). This results in ineffective laws that are often neither respected nor guaranteed by the authorities, who in some cases end up becoming the very perpetrators of discrimination. Unfortunately, the trans community gets the worst part since all this hatred, combined with sexist norms that lead to different manifestations of transphobia.

At a systematic level, Brazil is already a country where inequality, poverty, underdevelopment,  and overall social vulnerability are the daily realities for the majority of its citizens. 30.3% of the Brazilian population lives in poverty, which translates to about 54 million people. Within this group, around 11.5% are considered extremely poor (Hummell, 2016). In this context, nearly 30% of transgender adults in Brazil live in poverty, and only 4% of them are employed in the formal labour market  (Rio de Janeiro AFP, 2021). And due to the lack of opportunities despite having studies or qualifications, many  end up resorting to sex work to feed themselves. About 90 percent of trans people in Brazil end up working as sex workers (Rio de Janeiro AFP, 2021).

As sex workers, they have a high risk of being trafficked,  with many working slave-like conditions, or lured by traffickers that promise them body-changing surgery, then overcharge for illegal and risky procedures, pushing them further into debt (Teixeira, 2019). Although not all are victims of trafficking, the vast majority do have to deal with problems such as social discrimination and stigmatization, health and safety issues (with high prevalence of HIV and other STDs), and legal and social barriers as many are afraid of going to the police for fear of discrimination or impunity.

Trans people in Brazil, especially trans women, are also subject to many manifestations of physical violence and aggression. According to the study “Lifetime sexual violence among transgender women and travestis (TGW) in Brazil, “53% of transgender women and travestis in Brazil reported experiencing sexual violence, and 64.4% of those who experienced sexual violence faced it on more than one occasion”.  While this figure is shocking, it is one of the few that exists since the Brazilian state does not keep official data on violence against trans people and also hides the identities of the aggressors (Hentges et al., 2024) . Due to the lack of trust on the part of the trans community towards the police or authorities, they become easy prey for abusers who know that they have the upper hand through impunity.

Finally, the most severe manifestation of violence prevalent in this context is murder. “For the past 15 years, “Brazil has held the highest rate of trans deaths in the world. In 2023 alone, 145 people were murdered, most of them sex workers, Black, and from poor communities.  Their killers often claim self-defense, citing alleged attempted robbery or extortion. These figures have reduced the average life expectancy for trans people in Brazil to just 35 years” (Aram, 2024).

The intersection between human rights and LGBTQ+ violence is perhaps best well illustrated in Brazil. Henceforward, what does the future look like for the trans community in Brazil? As previously mentioned, Brazil has already made significant legal progress, but unfortunately, it has proven largely ineffective against the deeply rooted social structures that perpetuate discrimination.  The most powerful tool for change would be education that fosters inclusion, respect, and awareness of sexual and identity diversity. However, these attempts have been stopped not only by evangelical or conservative groups but by politicians themselves such as Jair Bolsonaro who openly promoted homophobia and transphobia.  While we must not overlook the significant contributions of LGBTQ+ activists and human rights defenders who have achieved meaningful results, the future remains uncertain. Until authorities take the scale of these injustices seriously and ensure accountability and justice for the lives lost, meaningful change will remain out of reach for Brazil’s LGBTQ+ community.