At least three trans women elected to state assemblies in Brazil

At least three trans women will serve in state assemblies from 2027 in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Rio Grande do Sul.

Sofia Favero of PSOL in São Paulo and Natasha Ferreira of PT in Rio Grande do Sul won their first elections, while Dani Balbi of PCdoB in Rio de Janeiro was re-elected.

Linda Brasil’s case could raise the total to four; she was the third-most-voted candidate in Sergipe, but her registration is listed as denied by Brazil’s electoral court.

The dispute concerns a pending party finance filing and the lack of a registered board for Rede Sustentabilidade, which affected the PSOL-Rede federation.

The election had 55 transgender candidates for state assemblies, based on electoral data, though the number may be higher because candidates do not have to report their gender identity.

The elected lawmakers have proposed measures including anti-racism policies, protections for LGBTQIA+ people and trans quotas in education.

A decision on Linda Brasil’s candidacy is still pending, with an appeal possible or already under way.