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Gay Pride Parade Targets Brazil's Evangelicals as the Enemy

CBN

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The 2016 gay pride parade in Sao Paulo, Brazil, this Sunday points to a clash of worldviews similiar to the so-called "culture wars" in the United States.

The 20th annual gay pride parade is considered the largest of its kind in the world. Organizers estimate more than 2 million attended in 2015.

The parade took place just three days after the "March for Jesus," which organizers at the Reborn in Christ Church describe as "the largest Christian event in the world."

Jarbas Aragao, Brazil correspondent for CBN News' Mundo Christiano program, reports that the two Sao Paulo events reflect the current divide in Brazilian society.

"The tone of the LGBT parade this year shows that the liberal movements, especially those of Marxist nature, chose as its main enemies those who defend Christian values in politics," he said.

The 20th gay pride parade focused on winning passage of a gender identity law, which would allow transgender people to change all their legal documents to a new name reflecting their new gender identity.

Aragao reports that one transgender person wore a costume that is a "direct challenge to evangelical congressmen."

Viviany Beleboni wore a gag in her mouth and an uneven scale on her shoulders. In one of the dishes was a Bible with the words "backwards" and "Evangelical Front."

"My protest this year is against the fundamentalists that try to bar our laws," Beleboni said. "I will talk about religion as often as needed."

Speaking for the Evangelical Parliamentary Front (EPF), Congressman Sostenes Cavalcante told the Christian website Gospel Prime that the Bible is a symbol of faith for all Christians in Brazil, including Catholics.

"There is no clash against our LGBT population," he said. "We defend what we believe. However, we understand that this kind of provocation is just a recognition that the Front has done its job fighting for family and Christian values."

Congressman and EPF member Ezequiel Teixeira said the costume demonstrates "religious intolerance" by LGBT activists in Brazil.

Dr. Andrew Chesnut, Latin America expert and professor of religious studies at Virginia Commonwealth University, told The Washington Post recently that comparisons between culture clashes in Brazil and the United States are valid.

"Many evangelicals in Brazil see their country in much of the same way the evangelical right views the United States," he said.

"They think the Workers' Party put Brazil on a path to moral ruin. It legalized gay mariage. It has given Brazil one of Latin America's highest per-capita abortion rates, even though the procedure remains illegal. There's pornography all over the place," he said.

Chesnut also told the Post that many Brazilians outside of the major cities are fairly conservative on moral issues and identify with the evangelical agenda.
 

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