According to the report, at least five gay men have been murdered in Brazil since March 2024 after meeting on a dating app. Reuters News agency. Dozens reported being victims of armed robberies after being lured into meeting people through dating apps.
One recent victim of deadly violence is Leo Nunes, 24, who arranged a meeting through the popular Brazilian LGBTQ+ dating app Hornet. On June 12, when Nunes showed up in an alley to meet someone he was chatting with, two men on a motorcycle allegedly pulled up, snatched his phone, and shot him dead. ReutersNunes’ family told news agencies a suspect had been arrested, but São Paulo police would not confirm whether any arrests had been made, saying only that the shooting was being investigated as a murder-for-hire.
outlet brazil big city Also reported in April was the death of Heleno Beji Doumba, a gay doctor. Authorities found him dead in his car, and witnesses told the news agency that Doumba was approached by three men who shot him at least twice before running away. São Paulo police told Reuters they had arrested three suspects in connection with Doumba’s death, but did not give details.
“Because of structural homophobia, criminals know that LGBT people are vulnerable. They know that they are more likely to be threatened,” Wanderley Montanholi, a lawyer representing Dumba’s family, told Reuters.
Another gay man, identified only as Gabriel, told Reuters that he was robbed at gunpoint on the same street where Nunes was shot in late March after arranging a date, and that he was lured by the same dating profile as the other victims. “A guy put a gun to my stomach and asked for my phone password,” he told the news agency. He said the robbers accessed his bank accounts, stole his savings and drained his credit cards. Gabriel and others reportedly reported the fake profile to Hornet, but he told Reuters it had been active for weeks.
“The investigation could have been done before the Leo incident,” Gabriel told Reuters. “It doesn’t need to be done here.”
“Every report is carefully reviewed,” Jerry Monahan, Hornet’s chief operating officer, told Reuters. He added that the company recently expanded its team to respond to user reports and that the app is changing its reporting system to “prioritize more serious issues,” but did not elaborate on what that means.
Police did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment on whether they had identified a pattern of killings linked to gay dating apps.
There are several laws in Brazil, but protect For ~ LGBTQ+ peopleAccording to human rights groups, the country has one of the highest rates of LGBTQ+ murder in the world. Outright InternationalLGBTQ+ activists It is called The violence is likely linked to the country’s far-right politicians.
right wing politician President Jair BolsonaroHaving served as president of the country from 2019 to 2023, he has a track record that spans decades. Anti-LGBTQ+ statementThe World Health Organization (WHO) has made false statements, including Encourage children Saying that he will have a same-sex relationship “I can’t love a gay child” And he said it was him. “I am very proud” It’s also homophobic.
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