New York Times- January 22, 2019

Brazil Sees Only Pink and Blue 

This article in the New York Times written by Vanessa Barbara discusses the issue of gender and expectations by society. People in Brazil truly live by the ideology that, “boys wear blue and girls wear pink,” says the minister of women, family and human rights, Damares Alves. In an inaugural speech given by President Jair Bolsonaro, this is also emphasized when she says, “a girl will be a princess and a boy will be a prince.” People in Brazil are worried that the current fight towards equality within the LGBTQ community could bring a change in the traditional family that they are used to. Stereotypes and cultural “norms” are continuously referenced and used in this article as what people expect in Brazil with newborn babies.

As many of us know, especially in the United States, equality and understanding of the LGBTQ community is becoming more and more normal in society. Gay marriages, transgender rights and more topics in this area are constantly talked about within our government system and also with the citizens of our country. These rights are something that people fight for everyday. In this article, I would act as the public relations professional for the president of Brazil regarding this issue that she addressed in her speech. Instead of making a very conservative and opinionated claim in her inaugural speech, I would encourage her to stray away from these strong messages that may turn people away from her in her position. I would work with her to change her messaging, as I said earlier, society’s view of these topics are changing and evolving each day.