Nov 26, 2006Articles: Bill making discrimination against gays punishable by prison advances in Brazil's legislature
By vanrozenheim
(RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL) - Brazil's lower house of Congress has passed a bill making discrimination against homosexuals a crime punishable by at least a year in jail, the bill's sponsor said Friday. The bill, passed Thursday, makes discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation a crime equal to discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, gender and national origin — which have carried prison sentences since 1989, said Congresswoman Iara Bernardi. The bill now goes before the Senate, which has not yet set a date to vote.
