<% IssueDate = "12/12/03" IssueCategory = "World" %> GayToday.com - Wolrd
World

Brazilian Mayor Bans Gay Men & Lesbians as Town Residents

By Ernest Barteldes

Bocaiúva do Sul, Brazil--Over the past few years Brazil has shown significant evidence of progress toward civil rights for gay men and women. Thus, observers were surprised when, on December 3, Mayor Elcio Berti of Bocaiúva do Sul (pop. 9,000) signed a decree banning homosexually-inclined people from taking up residence in the town.

The controversial measure came after the mayor learned that a male couple had plans to move there, outraging the homophobic politician who believes that the presence of homosexuals in town would degrade morality in his district.

"I have done this for morality, thinking of our population's future", he said in an interview in the local press. In the decree, he states that the objective of the measure is to "preserve the respect to a nurturing family environment."

The reaction to the measure was immediate.

Local activist groups have already taken measures to thwart Berti's ban, who in the past had tried to ban cigarettes and condoms and had announced plans to build a landing strip for extraterrestrial ships.

"This is a Nazi attitude", said Toni Reis, a member of the Dignidade (Dignity) group, one of various activist groups in the state of Paraná. "It is against the Federal constitution and every human rights treaty."

The complaints are not only coming from the activists. According to a recent Reuters report, Joel Carneiro da Silva, a prosecutor for Bocaiúva do Sul has announced that his office is weighing legal action against the mayor.

"In any case, the decree is unconstitutional, null and void. The prosecutor's office is evaluating the situation and possible charges against the mayor," he told Reuters.

"There are so many unconstitutional things going around the country", said Berti when asked about the matter. "I want discipline and respect for the population of the town."

A conviction on charges he discriminated against homosexuals - a punishable crime according to the federal constitution - could force the mayor from office land him in jail up to four years.

Various e-mails to the mayor's office were not returned at the time of this writing.

Last Saturday, a group of gay activists led by Grupo Dignidade (The Dignity Group) traveled to the town to demonstrate against the mayor's decree.

"Apparently, he did it to draw media attention, as he has done in the past with other odd things, but this time he messed with the wrong people and with the wrong subject," Roberto Kaiser, president of Inpar, a gay rights group, told Reuters.
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