Rousseff encourages using hotline to report homophobic violence

As the 18th LGBT Pride Parade took place in São Paulo on Sunday (May 4), President Dilma Rousseff reminded people on her Twitter that the Disque 100 (Dial 100) hotline can be used to report violence motivated by homophobia. The hotline service is provided by the Human Rights Secretariat (SDH) for users to report human rights violations.

“People from across the country have joined the @paradalgbt [LGBT parade] in São Paulo. Last year, @ DhumanosBrasil [SDH] established the National LGBT Framework, which coordinates public policies at national, state and local levels. The LGBT component of #Disque100 is currently the primary tool in combating homophobic violence. It's free, anonymous, and it works!,” the president wrote on her Twitter.

Introduced in June last year, the National Framework to Promote Rights and Combat Violence against Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, and Transgenders (the National LGBT Framework) relies on support centers – which provide psychological support, legal counseling, and other services – and on committees against discrimination and violence that engage several social agents.

In 2012, the SDH received 3,084 reports of violence against homosexuals, bisexuals, and transgenders, and over 9,900 reports of rights violations related to LGBT populations, with around 4,800 victims and 4,700 perpetrators involved. These figures reflect an increase in both the number of reports and the number of violations. The study went on to report a change in the profile of reporters, from a large majority of reports made by the victim themselves in previous years to as many as 47.3% of cases reported by witnessing strangers in 2012.

Out of the total violence incidents reported, 71.3% were aggressions against male-born persons, 20.1% against female-borns; 60.4% against gays; 37.5% against lesbians; 1.4% against cross-dressers; and 0.49% against transsexuals. The information is based on reports of the Disque 100 hotline, SDH data, and Ligue 180 hotline provided by the Women's Policies Secretariat (SPM), as well as data from the public healthcare system (SUS) regarding medical care provided to the victims.

Translated by Mayra Borges