Erika Hilton's right of reply aired on SBT after Ratinho comments

SBT aired a court-ordered right of reply from Federal Deputy Erika Hilton (PSOL-SP) during the ‘Programa do Ratinho’. The decision follows a legal dispute stemming from comments made by presenter Ratinho in March.

During the original broadcast, Ratinho questioned Hilton’s gender identity and her suitability to chair the Chamber of Deputies' Women's Rights Defense Commission, stating she was not a woman. In her response, Hilton addressed the presenter's remarks, stating, “I am Erika Hilton, a trans woman,” and argued that freedom of expression is not absolute and should not be used to justify prejudice.

Hilton emphasized that transphobic discourse contributes to humiliation and violence against minorities in Brazil. The São Paulo Court of Justice upheld the requirement for the broadcaster to air the response with equivalent prominence to the original remarks, rejecting SBT's appeal which claimed the broadcast could provide an electoral advantage.