In the name of morality and good manners: censorship of books on gender issues in Brazil of the 21st century

Abstract

There has been a growing debate in recent years, whether in the press, in social networks or in legislative houses throughout Brazil, on the “gender ideology”. From the discourse that this “ideology” would be a “threat to the family”, “God”, “morals and good manners”, conservative politicians have tried to pass laws to prevent school discussion of issues related to the concept of gender, including in this prohibition access to books, didactic or fictional. Considering this aspect, we present a literature review that relates the gender studies and the research on censorship in Brazil with the objective of investigating whether such political actions and discursive practices are a novelty, such as the expression “gender ideology”, or if its justifications and consequences present continuity with other moments in the history of the country. It is concluded that the attempts to censure books that query the dominant sexual morality are a reality, at least since the Estado Novo, and that the arguments used against certain sources of information are similar throughout the XX century and beginning of the XXI. It is also alerted to the risk of using vague and obscure expressions that can promote censorship even when it is not explicitly defined by law.