“They made me doubt if I was in my right mind.”Antonio Kvalo, 34, a web designer, created temlocal.com.br, a site where Brazilians can log instances of anti-gay violence. The anti-gay violence, they contend, can be traced to Brazil’s culture of machismo and a brand of evangelical Christianity, exported from the United States, that is outspoken in its opposition to homosexuality. Victims of anti-gay and transgender violence say they often experience a fresh round of humiliation from the law enforcement authorities, some of whom are openly hostile to requests that they record a crime as bias-motivated. “Homophobic violence has hit crisis levels, and it’s getting worse.”Brazil’s near-mythic reputation for tolerance is not without justification. “We live off this image as an open and tolerant place,” said Jandira Queiroz, the mobilization coordinator at Amnesty International Brazil.

Source: New York Times July 05, 2016 11:37 UTC