Brazilian LGBT movement leader Janaína Dutra gets honor from Google

Google today dedicates a beautiful doodle to Janaína Dutra, a Brazilian social activist and a leader of the Brazilian LGBTQIA+ movement.

Janaína Dutra was born on November 30, 1960 in the Canindé district of Brazil’s northern Ceará state. She started facing homophobic discrimination at the age of 14, but she had support from her large family. She followed her sister to Fortaleza, where she took her first steps toward a life devoted to advocating for the LGBTQIA+ community.

Janaína Dutra acquired her law degree in the year 1986 from the University of Fortaleza. This made her name inscribed in the history for being the first transgender graduate accepted as a member of the Ordem dos Advogados do Brasil (Brazilian National Bar Association). She appeared characterized as a woman, despite her birth name still appearing.

As a lawyer, Janaína Dutra frequently demonstrated to be aware that being gay, lesbian or transsexual has not been illegal in Brazil since 1830, despite the historical and current transphobia and homophobia spread throughout the country. She carried out pioneering work with the Ministry of Health in preparing the first AIDS prevention campaign specifically aimed at transvestites.

On the other hand, Janaína Dutra held leadership positions as a member of the presidency of the Association of Transvestites of Ceará (Atrac) and of the National Transvestite Articulation (Antra) – a landmark non-profit organization focused on developing social and legal support for the LGBTQIA+ community. She was the co-founder, legal advisor and VP of the Grupo de Apoio Asa Branca (GRAB).

Janaína Dutra also contributed to the foundation of the Grupo de Resistência Asa Branca (White Wing Resistance Group. She spent a lifetime attending conferences, seminars, and round tables to advocate for equality.

Janaína Dutra died of lung cancer at the age of 43 on February 8, 2004. The film titled ‘Janaína Dutra - An Iron Lady’ was made on her life in 2010. The international producer and screenwriter Wagner de Almeida celebrated the activist's remarkable and intrepid life.

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