Levy Fidelix, a fringe presidential
candidate in Brazil, used his time during a television debate to
deliver a homophobic rant.
When Fidelix, a former journalist who
is expected to receive less than 1 percent of the vote, was asked
Sunday night why some politicians refuse to accept gay couples, he
responded that gays “need psychological care” and were better
kept “very far away from us, because here it is not acceptable.”
He joked that homosexuality could
reduce Brazil's population of 200 million by half because “the
excretory system” cannot reproduce.
Fidelix is the founder of the
center-right Brazilian Labor Renewal Party and one of seven
candidates vying to be Brazil's next president.
Beto de Jesus of the International
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association condemned the
candidate's remarks.
“It was so absurd and so grotesque.
He is a parasite on Brazilian politics,” he
said.
The story exploded on social media and
led to one congressman announcing he was looking into the possibility
of suing Fidelix for incitement to violence against gays.