Rio de Janeiro LGBTQ data controversy

In late July 2026 the Grupo Arco‑Íris de Cidadania LGBTI+ (GAI) petitioned Rio de Janeiro’s State Civil Police and Public Ministry, asking why the 2026 Brazilian Public Security Yearbook omitted statistics on homophobic and transphobic crimes for 2024‑2025. The organization highlighted that Rio was the only state lacking such data, noting a national rise in racism‑linked anti‑LGBTQ incidents and urging the creation of permanent mechanisms for collecting and publishing these figures, even suggesting a Term of Adjustment of Conduct.

Two days later, interim governor Ricardo Couto responded by establishing a Subsecretaria de Políticas LGBTQI+ within the state’s Secretariat of Social Development and Human Rights. Led by Ernane Alexandre, the new office is tasked with coordinating LGBTQ+ public policies and integrating the existing Rio Sem LGBTIfobia programme, without increasing state expenditures. The subsecretary aims to improve transparency, data collection, and protection for the LGBTQ+ community, addressing the concerns raised by GAI.

Together, the NGO’s protest and the government’s structural response illustrate an evolving effort to acknowledge and address LGBTQ‑related violence in Rio de Janeiro.