Following an anti-trans state: the Brazilian far-right legislative discourse and its contestation of the right to gender identity in education

This article investigates how Brazilian far-right legislative discourse contests the recognition of the right to gender identity in education. As in other countries where an anti-gender far right has emerged, the incorporation of gender identity within educational systems and institutions has ignited significant political debate in Brazil. Despite the country’s deeply rooted transphobia, the 2010s saw gender identity adopted as a pivotal measure to democratize education by improving access to, and retention within, the school system for the travesti and transsexual population. However, a politically articulated far-right legislative discourse has staunchly opposed the recognition of gender identity as a fundamental educational right, weaponizing the issue through a series of institutional statements and bills. This article seeks to contribute to emerging debates concerning how the far right’s opposition to trans rights fuels contemporary processes of democratic erosion worldwide. Drawing upon an ethnography of texts and documents, we argue that tracing this discourse reveals an unwavering campaign to undermine the right to gender identity in education. Our findings indicate that disputes over which perspective on gender identity should inform educational policies are central to understanding how Brazilian far-right legislators seek to institutionalize cisnormative conceptions within the state and beyond.