Brazilian president’s anti-gay tourism comment sparks LGBT outrage
Brazil’s far-right president Jair Bolsonaro has allegedly stated his country mustn’t become a ‘gay tourism paradise’.
Bolsonaro, a self-declared homophobe, made the comments during a breakfast meeting with the press, according to Brazilian magazine Exame.
He is quoted saying: "If you want to come here and have sex with a woman, go for your life, but we can’t let this place become known as a gay tourism paradise.
"Brazil can’t be a country of the gay world, of gay tourism. We have families."
The comments sparked an immediate reaction from LGBT campaigners. "This is not a head of state – this is a national disgrace," said David Miranda, a leftist congressman and LGBT activist. "He is staining the image of our country in every imaginable way."
Renan Quinalha, a Sao Paulo-based lawyer and LGBT activist, added: "It is a disastrous declaration, both from the human rights point of view and with regards to Brazil’s international image."
He said Bolsonaro’s comments ‘give a green light to already alarming levels of violence against the LGBT community’.
Bolsonaro’s remarks are being seen as a blow to Brazil’s attempts to build an international reputation as a welcoming destination for gay tourists.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
Euromonitor International unveils world’s top 100 city destinations for 2025