By Lana de Holanda* In my 28 years, this is, without a doubt, the worst period I've lived through. In 2016, here in Brazil, we went through a coup where the elected president was ousted from power before even being formally charged. To this day, there is no evidence of the alleged corruption. Last year, we witnessed something worse: the far right gained a foothold and a voice, embodied in Jair Bolsonaro, an extremely conservative candidate who, during his campaign, had no qualms about showing contempt for women, Black people, Indigenous people, and the LGBT community. Furthermore, it's important to remember that LGBT people have always served as Bolsonaro's target: he attacks us, dehumanizes us, and threatens us. A few years ago, the president said in an interview that he would rather have a dead son than a gay one. He also said that he would never accept having gay neighbors because his property would lose value. He's been saying things like this for years, fueling the hatred the population has toward us, and nothing has happened. He's never been reprimanded for saying such outrageous things. On the contrary, he won an election.

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It's important to understand that Bolsonaro is the politician who best represents the average Brazilian citizen: he's not very cultured or well-educated. He comes from a middle-class family. He's white. He's proud of his dislike for reading. He's also proud of saying he understands nothing about economics. He believes women were made to serve men. He proudly states that he hates LGBT people and is against any rights we might have. He's hypocritical in defending the traditional family, since he's been married three times and has children from different marriages. Therefore, Bolsonaro is no different from the millions of men who live in Brazil. That's why the public outcry: for the first time, a segment of the population didn't vote for someone who stood out for something, but rather for someone they identified with, someone who could be a relative, or a reflection in the mirror. That's the great challenge we Brazilians face: fighting an enemy who has widespread popular support and who closely resembles the people who voted for him. An enemy who looks like an uncle, a grandfather, a cousin, and even that father we have at home.

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In his first days in office, Bolsonaro has already shown that he will not govern for everyone, as we anticipated. He drastically reduced the power of the Secretariats that protect Indigenous rights and removed LGBT regulations from human rights guidelines. He also announced that leftists will not be eligible for government scholarships and eliminated a guide from the Ministry of Health that addressed the health of transgender men. He appointed Damares Alves to the new Ministry of Women and Family, a woman who opposes legal abortion even in cases of rape or when the woman's life is at risk. Our struggle over the next four years will be very intense, and it is in this context that I begin writing for Presentes. Once a month, I will try to report not only on the challenges we face here in Brazil but also on the struggles and initiatives to try to stop these setbacks in rights. I would love for the news to improve during this time and for reality not to be as harsh as it currently appears.

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We, in the field of politics and activism, face many challenges. We must unite to liberate Brazil from the far right and all that it entails, such as sexism, racism, hatred of the poor, and LGBTphobia. We need to unite, regardless of political party, organization, or leftist ideology. A single fish is much more fragile than a school, which is why it is essential to think collectively, in harmony, in unity. Together we will be stronger. Here I call upon all our brothers and sisters in Latin America to pay attention to what is happening in Brazil. The far right in Brazil can affect us all. We cannot allow this tragedy to spread. May what is happening in Brazil serve, at the very least, as a warning to other countries, so that it is not repeated. We will continue together, united, until victory. *Brazilian human rights activist. First trans advisor to the Rio de Janeiro City Council (PSOL). ]]>