Eduardo Leite, the governor of Brazil's
Rio Grande do Sul state, has come out as gay.
In an interview with Globo,
Leite, 36, said that he's proud to be gay.
"In this Brazil of little
integrity, at this time, we have to debate who we are, so that
everything is clear and there is nothing to hide," he said. "I
am gay. I am a gay governor.”
“And I am proud of that.”
“I have nothing to hide. I'm proud to
talk about my sexual orientation and who I am – even though that
should be a non-issue in our country,” he added.
Leite is seen as a possible rival to
President Jair Bolsonaro, who is known for his homophobic comments.
Bolsonaro, who has downplayed the coronavirus pandemic, is known as
the “Trump of the tropics.”
According to various outlets, Leite
would make history as the nation's first openly gay presidential
candidate.
Bolsonaro
has described himself as a “proud homophobe.”