“GENDER IDEOLOGY” INCURSIONS IN EDUCATION: Constitutional principles and the secular state

Abstract

In 2015, several municipalities in Brazil sanctioned laws that prohibit teaching about gender diversity and sexual orientation in schools and the use of the word “gender” in classrooms and school materials. In response, in 2017, the Public Prosecutor’s Office (PGR) filed a series of claims at Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court questioning the constitutionality of these laws opposing “gender ideology.” This article analyzes these cases, revealing that the topic of gender and sexuality in schools has sparked disputes around individual rights, the plurality of ideas and Brazil’s status as a secular state, as the Catholic Church and evangelical groups have organized campaigns to alter laws related to the issue at the federal, state, and municipal levels.

Keywords

• constitutionality
• education
• religion
• secularism
• “gender ideology”