“Helena Black” is a drag queen who decided to fight homophobia in the cultural centers of Brazil.
With bold makeup and a voluminous fuchsia wig, Paulo Reis embodies this drag performer, interpreting stories for children to fight discrimination.
“Children are not born with prejudices, they are neither homophobic nor racist; It’s the adults who teach it to them,” he said.
The 40-year-old art teacher and actor identifies as gay, black and from the periphery. This allowed him to use his character to combat homophobia in a country where 2.9 million adults identify as homosexual or bisexual.
This drag queen decided to combat homophobia in Brazil's cultural centers. Photo: AFP
Homophobia and transphobia have been considered criminal offenses since 2019. However, in a study conducted by the organization Transgender Europe in 35 countries, the country is at the top in the number of violent deaths of transsexuals.
The problem is so complex that an initiative to ban same-sex marriage is being pushed forward in Congress. A project confirmed by the Supreme Court in 2011.
Children's stories against homophobia
Paulo Reis felt the need to do something about this scourge and found a great ally in children's stories.
Since 2017, this teacher has been telling stories with themes related to the LGBTIQ+ community to children and adults in libraries and cultural centers in Sao Paulo and other cities in the country.
Like every princess story, “Helena Black” has a happy but atypical ending.
“People from all neighboring kingdoms attended the wedding; Some out of friendship, others out of curiosity about the union of two women,” he mentioned in one of the stories.
The initiative was called “Mom, there's a drag queen who tells stories!” and counts on the support of the local government.
In this way, the Brazilian from a poor background was able to make a living primarily in art.
“It is assumed that a man dressed as a woman can only be something trivial, but a drag queen can also educate and occupy spaces beyond shows and sexualized jobs,” he says.
Paulo believes that his presence in these spaces as a drag queen represents a political act and an act of resistance against the prejudices that exist about gender and sexuality.
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