In Brazil, sex education is a way for young people to learn about their own bodies, pregnancies, and how to protect themselves from predatory people. It can also be a lifeline that allows them to be safer from prejudice and ignorance. Queer youth are among those in most need of sex ed for all of these reasons and more. But a 2024 report from Human Rights Watchexternal link, opens in a new tab found that in the last decade, conservative groups in Brazil put forth more than 200 legislative proposalsexternal link, opens in a new tab targeting federally mandated comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) in primary and secondary schools.
The proposals have mainly been focused on banning instruction on gender, sexuality, and natural human differences, including following traditional mainstream society gender roles and birth assigned sex. In October 2025, some of the municipal laws forbidding the mentions of gender and sexual orientation in school curricula were declared unconstitutionalexternal link, opens in a new tab by Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court (STF). Among these proposals were attempted bans on gender-neutral bathrooms in schools. Lawmakers cite so-called “gender ideology” for their objections and allege a supposed indoctrination of kids and teenagers while themselves fueling fear and moral panics and using education as a political tool.
Brazil can be considered a Western and cosmopolitan country, but some things set it apart from the US, the UK, and even its South American counterparts. Young people are caught in the middle of these tensions.
Legislation like this is a product of decades of growing far-right presence in Brazilian politics, starting during President Luís Inácio Lula da Silva’s administration from 2003 to 2011, and stretching through the far-right Jair Bolsonaro presidency from 2019 to 2022. Former President Bolsonaro is an unashamed defender of the military dictatorship which ruled Brazil from 1964 to 1985, torturing, killing, and disappearing its opponents. President Luís Inácio Lula da Silva, elected again in 2023, has been left to deal with the aftermath of Bolsonaro’s legacy, including the assault on sexual education. Many, including young people and educators, still fear exposing their thoughts and sexuality due to possible retaliation because the influence of the conservative wing that gained traction in the Bolsonaro years has only grown in size and power. This political influence shows how queer youth are subjected to the decisions of older men in suits.
Brazilian Anthropologist Guilherme Passamani, a professor at the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, in the southern part of the Central-West Region of Brazil, has followed many attacks on sex education that affect young people and educators from other regions in the country.
“Teachers reported fear and hesitation in addressing these topics in the classroom due to the numerous legislative and political efforts (to curtail it),” Passamani said in an interview with Scarleteen, recalling the harassment, administrative punishment, and career roadblocks that said educators faced during those years.
Brazilian educator Rúbia Estefânia Pinto da Silva holds a Master’s Degree, works as a Professor of Natural Sciences at the State Secretariat of Education of the Federal District, and is a doctoral student in Science Education at the University of Brasília, developing research on sexual education in science and teaching it as a strategy to combat sexual violence against children and adolescents. She is one of the leading voices on sex education, fighting for more sex ed access and a safer environment for queer youth and battling attacks on her work.
Rúbia Da Silva says, “First and foremost, sex education is a public health issue, a guarantee of human rights, and a way to care for oneself and others. It teaches children and adolescents to understand their bodies, respect themselves and others, prevent abuse, and make responsible decisions. It’s not about encouraging early sexual relations, but about providing age-appropriate information to promote health, respect, equality, and safety, based above all on the alarming figures presented by the Department of Public Security. Ignoring sexuality does not protect; on the contrary, it increases the risk of violence, unwanted pregnancy, and discrimination.”
Access to sex ed is complicated by Brazil’s high illiteracy rate. 5.3% of Brazilians are illiterate, meaning that 9.1 million people aged 15 years or older are incapable of reading and writing, according to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE).external link, opens in a new tab This historically low level of literacy is concentrated in the struggling Northeast region, and it is higher among Black and pardo (mixed-race) communities. As with other topics, lower literacy makes it more difficult to be educated about sex, particularly without specialized instruction meant for those with lower literacy.
All young people face an uphill battle for survival in the tenth-largest economy in the world, one of the world’s most unequal countriesexternal link, opens in a new tab, with high income and wealth concentration at the upper echelons. Although there has been a recent drop in inequality levels, according to a 2024 IBGE reportexternal link, opens in a new tab, the country remains a rough place for the disfranchised, among them LGBTQIA+ young people. Harmful legislative proposals most often primarily centered in personal and targeted bias have a huge impact on the national educational curriculum, including sex ed.
“Unfortunately, this is a reality. Even with a federal government that seeks to promote and provide freedom for discussions on this topic, we have a conservative Congress that frequently aims to promote actions that block these discussions. I perceive a concerted movement, including misinformation on social media, to limit the right to information, diversity, and the protection of children and adolescents. These proposals stem from an uninformed and moralizing vision, which attempts to associate sex education with indoctrination, when in fact it is a tool for citizenship, health, and violence prevention, especially against children and adolescents,” says da Silva.
A famous example of fake news hurting access to sex ed happened in the 2018 presidential election, when misinformation promoted by far-right supporters claimed that the left-wing candidate, Fernando Haddad, during his mandate as São Paulo’s mayor had equipped schools with “mamadeiras de piroca” (cock baby bottles) that came with penis-shaped teats to allegedly combat homophobia. This never happened. Those spreading such fallacies were accused of an illegal WhatsApp campaign coordinating a campaign in favor of presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro, although they weren’t officially working for him. The queer community took the brunt of the damage.
Rúbia da Silva says these inaccuracies and outright lies have a real impact: “Data from the 2025 Brazilian Public Security Annual Report show that the number of sexual crimes against women and vulnerable individuals is constantly increasing, and that in most cases, the perpetrators are family members. One of the constant attempts by conservative groups is the approval of homeschooling, which clearly demonstrates a significant risk to the integrity of children and adolescents. These legislative attempts disregard the recommendations of national and international organizations, in addition to violating constitutional principles such as the right to education and dignity.”
The Bolsonaro administration casts a shadow over sex ed in Brazil
During the Bolsonaro years, sex ed was threatened by the conservative and evangelical lobby. Fear of expressing oneself, and fear around promoting accurate sexual education resources, was palpable in those years as Bolsonaro allegedly used manufactured controversy about sex education for political gains and propaganda. Bolsonaro, already criticized by opponents for his disdain for women and queer people’s rights, also is accused of mishandling the COVID-19 pandemic, which was particularly severe in Brazil, as elsewhere, for Black, traditional and indigenous communities, highlighting what his opposers claim to be his administration’s role in widespread discrimination.
As da Silva explains, “Educators and projects focused on promoting sexual health and preventing violence were delegitimized, and teaching materials and educational initiatives were heavily censored. This situation created significant insecurity for those attempting to address these topics, especially in the classroom, even if they did so responsibly and with a scientific basis. The attempt, during the Bolsonaro administration, was to remove the topic from classrooms and other school spaces and transfer it exclusively to the family, in addition to persecuting any discussion that crossed the gender binary.”
Passamani and da Silva say teachers were afraid to address sexual education in the classroom because the government was using legislation and political influence to curtail it, including at government ministries, where leaders made false claims about gender identity, sexuality, and sexual education, like suggesting that sex ed would make people sexually promiscuous. Many teachers experienced administrative consequences for providing sex ed, including harassment and being held back from progression in their careers.
Every six minutes, a person is a victim of rape in Brazilian territoryexternal link, opens in a new tab, an increase of 0.9% from 2023. 65.7% of sexual assaults take place inside the victims’ household. 45.5% are perpetrated by relatives and 20.3% by partners or former intimate partners. Many victims are regarded as vulnerable under Brazilian law: the victim is under 14 years of age; lacks the ability to consent due to a disability; or is incapacitated, as for example when drinking or using drugs.
Brazil is also experiencing a surge in cases of violence against LGBTQ+ people, especially trans women along with gay, bisexual, and trans men. Professor da Silva says that: “LGBTQIA+ youth are among the groups most affected by the lack of inclusive sex education. When schools remain silent, reinforce prejudices, or simply ignore the topic, these young people feel insecure and alone. The lack of support and information contributes to high dropout rates, violence, and psychological distress, which can lead to self-harm and suicide. Schools need to be spaces for the protection and affirmation of identities, not exclusion. Ensuring sex education that respects diversity is a matter of guaranteeing social and human rights and the survival of these young people.”
The high levels of sexual abuse and homophobic, transphobic violence that take place in Brazil are directly connected to the inaccessibility of sexual education and the spread of misinformation. The push for homeschooling that da Silva observes is another way Brazilian youth are denied access to education. Without information about sexual health, consent, and ways to identify possible dangerous situations and how to get help, young people are vulnerable. School-aged children should be able to access support from school staff who can talk without fear of censorship.
During the Bolsonaro era, the opposition to sex ed in schools was heightened by “the Education Ministers of the Bolsonaro government, Milton Ribeiro and Abraham Weintraub, who employed discriminatory speeches, claiming that education on gender and sexuality would encourage sexual activity and that homosexual people come from dysfunctional families,” says Passamani. Currently, Jair Bolsonaro is serving time for a coup d’etat attempt against the incumbent government.external link, opens in a new tab
The fact that the current government has more acceptance of sex education, although it doesn’t make much noise about it, doesn’t guarantee that there is a golden path forward for those who advocate for sex education that can prevent abuse, harm, and prejudice against Brazilian youth, believes Passamani.
Da Silva lays out what activists can do to ensure the protection and progress of sex ed: “Activists have a crucial role to play in advocating for public policies, producing educational materials, supporting educators, and mobilizing society. We must continue to denounce these setbacks, pressuring government officials, and building support networks inside and outside schools. Furthermore, it is essential to engage with families, share data and scientific evidence, and build bridges with different social sectors. Change will only come with information, affection, resistance, and the social certainty that quality sex education saves lives.”
