Brazil has an adolescent population of over 34 million. (Gonzalez-Jimenez) This statistic does not include the country’s LGBTQ+ population, however, data shows that 28% of all deaths within the LGBTQ+ population were people aged under 18. (Gonzalez-Jimenez) This rate is quite alarming has a connection to the homophobic and transphobic prejudices within Brazilian society. People need to be conscious of these fatal statistics because the first step to prevention is awareness. Brazilian LGBTQ+ adolescences deserve to be recognized and treated with morale. To best communicate to this audience, I chose two genres from social media platforms: Instagram and YouTube. Social media has gained momentous popularity amongst people of all ages but holds more importance and usage for adolescents. However, social media acts as an outlet for people to express their opinions, no matter how derogatory it can be. Ultimately, social media can be both negatively and positively influential on the subject of homophobia.
Memes are a recent significance in internet culture and serve more purpose than just entertainment. (Nissenbaum) Memes are used for purposes such as emotional expression, community building, and political protest. They both represent and construct social perceptions. (Nissenbaum) My intended audience is very familiar with meme format and will get the intended message of it. Whether or not they agree with the message portrayed in the meme is arbitrary, but the specific Brazilian cultural setting is highlighted.
I chose to search for a profile dedicated to memes, more specifically memes about Brazilian life and culture. The profile page is called brazilianmemesnetwork, constituting over one hundred thousand followers. Almost all of the posts are in Portuguese which shows that it was solely created to poke fun at some trends within Brazilian culture and lifestyle. It did not take long to find a post that pertained to LGBTQ+ individuals in Brazil, but the content within the post demonstrated the rampant homophobia still flowing within Brazil.
The post consists of a meme that compares a homeless man to a gay man, with a caption stating, (translated) “Inscription beggar in full swing!” Within the meme, it says “Mendigo de antigamente” and “Mendigo de hoje em dia” which translates to “Old Beggar” and “Modern Day Beggar” The meme insinuates that gay men exploit themselves and solicit openly for money. There are thousands of comments under this post that affirm this idea. “Verdadeeee”, one commenter posted under the photo, while receiving 20 likes. This highlights the financial restrictions LGBTQ+ individuals face due to their identity. Inherently, some may have to succumb to “begging” or soliciting due to the inability to have a typical job or have a place in the Brazilian workforce. This is an offensive stereotype that is tied to the LGBTQ+ group, more specifically gay and trans people.
The profile user did not think about how this post contributes to the harmful stereotypes inflicted upon these individuals, which clarifies their stance as opinionated and biased. There is toxicity about social media, due to the freedom people have to express their unwarranted, insulting thoughts. However, several Instagram users came to the defense of the LGBTQ+ community by highlighting the blatant prejudice occurring in the meme. This shows that there can be some good in having an open platform, such as Instagram, where one enlightens the insensible. Although the meme has homophobic undertones, it can still positively shed light on this unfair stereotype and make people aware of ignorance.
YouTube has a huge platform solely dedicated to storytelling, which many users have connected to because most of these people are everyday people that can be related too. Users and watchers find a connection in that and can compare or contrast their own experience in whatever topic that is.
In a video titled “ Coming Out Twice As A Gay Brazilian,” Kelvin, a young man from Brazil, discusses his double instance of coming out to his family, one of which was not intentional. After being outed by another family member at 14, he immediately tried to hide his sexual orientation by pretending a girl friend was his partner. He discusses how it is genuinely shocking for people to come out and be openly gay in Brazil, so it made his experience quite limiting. From then on, Kelvin became more persistent in trying to hide his identity to please his family. However, he could not keep up the front any longer and moved to New York City, where he had complete freedom to truly be himself. He found amazing friends, a fulfilling job and a fun lifestyle, which was the complete opposite of his life in Brazil. Things took a turn when his mother discovered him in a seductive music video. After her confrontation, he refused to hinder his identity and sincerely came out to his mother, in which he eventually garnered her support.
His story is extremely inspiring and provides an insight into the direct discrimination that occurs within Brazil for LGBTQ+ people. Many people who are in the closet are terrified of being true to themselves because of how judgmental society can be in terms of sexuality. As a gay man, Kelvin’s stance is supportive and shows others that he is not alone. Also, by allowing his story to be on YouTube, he is providing millions of people with access to his story. It can be uplifting to see this person share their experience so openly, as many people have a similar occurrence.
