Threats against trans councilwomen stir violence fears in Brazil Reuters 2/5/2021 Three trans councilwomen threatened in recent days Police investigating whether incidents linked Number of trans people killed in Brazil rose last year
By Jennifer Ann Thomas
SAO PAULO, Feb 5 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Threats against several transgender councilwomen in Brazil s largest city in recent days have raised fears of a surge in transphobic violence in the country, where reported murders of trans people rose steeply last year.
Sao Paulo police are investigating possible links between three incidents, which the councilwomen said could point to an upswing in transphobia following the record showing of trans candidates in a municipal election in November.
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SAO PAULO (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - A Brazilian lawmaker announced a bill on Friday that would require big companies to reserve 3% of their jobs for transgender employees, a step he said would help trans people escape poverty and marginalisation.
Neighboring Argentina passed a law last year reserving 1% of public sector jobs for trans workers, but the law drafted by congressman Alexandre Padilha would apply to all private firms with more than 100 staff that receive state aid or contracts.
Padilha, who served as health minister under former President Dilma Rousseff, said his initiative aimed to tackle the discrimination and hardship faced by trans Brazilians - many of whom are kicked out of home by their families as teenagers.