Religious movements and the debate on the law projects that intend to criminalize homophobia in Brazil

This paper aims to bring up the results of part of my doctoral research, which intends to investigate the place of religion in Brazilian politics. For this presentation, I analyzed the religious discourses that emerged from the confrontation between religious parliamentarians and their religious leaderships and the social movements that struggle for the sexual minorities rights, such as the lesbians, gays and transsexuals.The law project (PL 122/2006)  was under discussion in the chamber of deputies since 2006 proposing, mainly, the criminalization of homophobia. Since then, evangelical and catholics parliamentarians have resisted and avoided their votation, not without raising a debate and critical campaigns against it. Their main argument has been about their fear of losing the religious freedom, especially in talking against homosexual practices. During the last presidential elections in Brazil, the main candidates, Dilma Roussef (PT) and Jose Serra (PSDB)  were compelled with some religious groups to not carry on that discussion. On the other hand, there were the social movements for sexual minorities rights, claiming for the future government support. The arrangements that each candidate made during that period and, especially the elected president Dilma Roussef, will be presented alongside her public positioning on that issue during 2011.  In the last months, that project was archived and, in replacement, another one (PL Alexandre Ivo) was proposed. All the debate available (newspapers, reports, site on the internet) concerning these issues and discussion will be brought to the best understanding on that phenomenon.