Rise of Religious Conservative Movements Fuels Anti-Gender Politics in Brazil

Religious movements in Brazil are increasingly shaping the conservative political landscape by promoting anti-gender ideologies, bolstering the rise of the far-right. These groups, particularly from conservative Christian backgrounds, actively oppose LGBTQIA+ rights and abortion access, especially in cases of risk and violence. This political-religious alliance is intensifying debates around gender equality, stirring public sentiment against progressive policies.

Anthropologist Lilian Maria Pinto Sales, in an upcoming event titled 'Ciclo de estudos: Gênero, Religião, Política,' will discuss how anti-gender movements are intertwined with the expansion of Brazil's new right. Her research highlights how these religious actors have mobilized to defend traditional family structures and counteract advances in women's and LGBTQIA+ rights, especially after Jair Bolsonaro's election.

Sales emphasizes that conservative populism has created a political climate where 'enemies' are constructed to justify restrictive measures, increasing anti-gender rhetoric. For instance, the 'Marcha em Defesa da Vida' protest in São Paulo exemplifies the new strategies and actors mobilized by these movements. Despite some Catholic groups supporting abortion rights, most religious conservatives resist feminist ideas, reflecting broader political maneuvering under the influence of bolsonarismo.

This growing cooperation between religious conservatism and the extreme right has profound implications for Brazil's constitutional guarantees and the rights of marginalized communities, as these movements gain traction in political discourse and influence electoral dynamics.