Sexuality, Religion and Politics in Brazil: The Moral Agenda of Evangelical Politicians
Sandra Duarte de Souza

Abstract
The more explicit participation of Evangelicals in Brazilian politics, brought greater emphasis to the political arena to the theme of sexual morality, which persists despite countless social changes about sexuality in the 21st century. Mobilization of various religious groups against the election of the Workers Party (PT) candidate, Dilma Rousseff, was based on the fact that the she would be favourable to the criminalization of homofobia and the decriminalization of abortion. Catholics, mainline Protestants, Pentecostals, Neo-Pentecostals and spiritualist kardecistas formed an atypical "ecumenism" in defense of a sexuality strictly delimited and regulated by conservative religious standards. This article highlights the ambiguity of the laicity in Brazil and aims at analyzing the implications of gender that came out before and during the elections. In particular it will focus on the discourse of Pentecostals and historical Protestants about gay marriage, criminalization of homophobia and the decriminalization of abortion.

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