Councilor Paula Vicente (PT), from Londrina, was the target of personal attacks during the City Council session last Thursday (12). She describes the situation as an episode of gender-based political violence.
Everything began after the councilor took a stand against the transphobic remarks of another councilor about federal congresswoman Érika Hilton (Psol), elected president of the Women’s Rights Committee in the Chamber of Deputies. Paula denounced the transphobia and called for respect for women and trans people in politics.
“I would like to be talking about an issue in Londrina here and now. I would like to be talking about Londrina ON, about the lack of teachers in the public school system, about the R$ 11 million from the State Government that still haven’t come for Social Assistance, but I’m tired of hearing in this Plenary people attacking the existence of human beings, inciting hate, inciting violence against women, as just happened here now against Congresswoman Érika Hilton,” Paula declared.
After the speech, the Bolsonarist councilor Jessicão (PP) addressed Paula using expressions such as “annoying as hell,” “crazy feminist,” and saying she was happy about the fact that Paula was about to leave the Council. Paula holds the seat as the alternate for the current federal deputy Lenir de Assis, who was also targeted by attacks, being labeled—among other things—as a “coward.”
On her social media, Lenir reacted to the attack by saying that “cowardice is exactly this: inciting hatred against diversity, against people, against the LGBTQIAP population to generate engagement on social networks.”
For Paula Vicente, “This is not about legitimate political disagreement. It is a recurring practice of the far right, which tries to replace the debate of ideas with aggression, intimidation, and attacks directed at women who dare to confront the hate speech and political violence it promotes.”
