Eduardo Leite, a contender to become Brazil’s next president, will not make LGBTQ+ equality a top priority during his campaign.
Leite made history when he came out as gay in July 2021 by becoming the first out governor in Brazil’s history.
He has been tipped as a top contender to current Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, offering a change from his far-right agenda.
Leite, who is a member of the Brazilian Social Democracy Party (BSDP), previously revealed that he came out before running for high office so he would not be “accused of making a political calculation”.
“In Brazil nowadays, unfortunately, this is one theme to discredit people, especially because of the way that Bolsonaro talks about it,” he said of being gay in Brazil.
Despite this, Leite has confirmed that he will not have LGBTQ+ rights on his agenda when he is on the campaign trail.
The presidential hopeful said that it is “not a cause I lay down for,” even though “the correct direction for the country is toward respect, tolerance, and the quest for equality”.
“Not every woman is a feminist activist, not every black person is a racial activist, and not every gay person needs to be an activist,” Leite explained of his stance.
LGBTQ+ activists in the country are still backing the regardless of this, as he offers a much better alternative to Bolsonaro who has previously said he would rather his son die in an accident than be gay.
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