Two straight actors kiss live on TV to protest ‘hypocrisy and prejudice’
The actors kissed onstage at the annual GQ awards in Brazil last week.
Two of Brazils biggest actors kissed live on TV on Thursday – dedicating their embrace to all of the “macho card carriers.”
Bruno Gagliasso and João Vicente de Castro locked lips at Brazil’s annual GQ Men of The Year Awards in Rio De Janeiro.
Gagliasso later shared the picture of himself and de Castro on Instagram – before explaining the reason behind the kiss.
The actor – who has a long history of supporting LGBT rights in the country – said that the men wanted to use the awards as an opportunity to challenge the nation’s views on what it means to “macho.”
He dedicated the kiss to “all the macho card-carriers, hypocritical and prejudiced”, before saying he wanted to show that there was nothing with “showing our affection and love” for another man.
The image of the pair kissing has quickly gone viral, with LGBT activists in Brazil championing the pair for highlighting the issue and pressures placed on both straight and LGBT men alike.
The actor has previously spoken out about the “macho” image often portrayed in the media – as he says it has an unhealthy effect on both young straight and LGBT Brazilians.
Although LGBT Brazilians receive many of the same rights as non-LGBT people – same-sex marriage was officially legalised in 2014 – crime against the LGBT community still remains worryingly frequent.
Last year, an estimated 216 LGBT people were murdered due to their sexuality.
The stats showed that over 200 gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender people were murdered between January 1 and September 29.
35% of victims were trans people, while 59% of those were gay, and 4% were lesbians.
Though homosexuality is not a crime in Brazil, it is notorious for having one of the highest murder rates for LGBT people – and transgender people in particular – in the world.
However, according to the Guinness World Records, the São Paulo Gay Pride Parade is the world’s largest LGBT Pride celebration, with 4 million people in 2009.
