Grad Student Association: "Social Justice in Brazil" Perspectives After the Impeachment

Jean Wyllys is an Afro-Brazilian, openly gay Federal Congressman from the state of Rio de Janeiro, representing the Party of Socialism and Freedom (PSOL). Wyllys has a history of involvement in movements for social justice in Brazil, first as a youth activist in the progressive wing of the Brazilian Catholic Church and later as a partner of the LBGT, Black and Women’s movements in Brazil. As a Federal Congressman, he is one of the most visible national figures in the fight against homophobia, intolerance and religious fundamentalism, the discrimination against Afro-Brazilian religions, slave labor, the sexual exploitation of children and adolescents, and violence against women. Jean Wyllys’ visit to the U.S. is sponsored by the Brazilian Initiative at Brown University.