While violence plagues Brazilian society, LGBTQ travelers should be particularly careful when traveling in Brazil, including during the upcoming Summer Olympics.
The city of Rio de Janeiro in 2000 enacted a non-discrimination ordinance protecting the LGBTQ community, and it has has hosted annual Pride parades for more than two decades. Additionally, in 2013, the state of Rio de Janeiro enacted a program, Rio Sem Homophobia, which provides police officers training on LGBTQ-specific issues.
Despite this progress, the country still experiences very high levels of reported violence, especially towards transgender women and other gender non-conforming people. Given this reality, LGBTQ travelers should be vigilant about their safety during the Games and their stay in Rio.
iJet, an integrated risk management firm, urges LGBTQ travelers to maintain a low profile while in Rio and to take extra precautions when in places known to be unfriendly to LGBTQ people – including neighborhoods in the north and west of the city, as well as some of the city’s southern beaches.
U.S. travelers should check the State Department’s travel advisory for the Olympics and are also encouraged to sign up for the State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to receive safety information during their stay.
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