Brazil: Support Partnership Rights For State Employees In Rio De Janeiro
12/14/2001
SUMMARY
IGLHRC forwards the attached action from Forum de ONG/AIDS, a coalition of NGOs working on HIV/AIDS and sexual rights issues in Brazil. The Forum asks for letters to be sent to Mr. Antony Garotinho, governor of the Rio de Janeiro state, in Brazil, asking him to ratify a bill which would grant same-sex partners of state employees the same rights that opposite-sex partners currently enjoy. The bill has been already passed by the Rio de Janeiro Legislative Assembly and will enter into force as soon as the Governor ratifies it.
FORWARDED ACTION
Please send the following letter IN PORTUGUESE to:
- governadorrj@gabgovernador.rj.gov.br
fax: (55 21) 2553-6152 or 2553-6247
(an English translation follows the Portuguese text)
And please send a copy to the Forum at
- forumongaidsrj@hotmail.com
Fax: (55 21) 2517-3293
SAMPLE LETTER
Ilmo. Sr.
Antony Garotinho
M.D.Governador do Estado do Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro, S de dezembro de 2001
Sr. Governador,
Venho solicitar à VSa. que sancione a PL 2385/01, de autoria dos Deputados Carlos Minc e Sérgio Cabral, que modifica a Lei 285/79 acrescentando um parágrafo ao artigo 29 que trata do regime previdenciário dos servidores estaduais e que, com sua anuência, garantirá aos servidores públicos do Estado do Rio de Janeiro a averbação de parceiros do mesmo sexo, equiparando à condição de união estável, de que trata o artigo I, da Lei 285/79.
Embora setores menos progressistas da nossa sociedade, uma minoria felizmente, tentem disvirtuar o foco desse projeto alegando questões de fundo religioso e/ou de natureza puramente moralista, sem embasamento de ci\unho científico e na contra mão das sociedades mais liberais e democráticas, temos a certeza que VSa. se balizará pelo bom censo e pela justiça em sua decisão, razão pela qual rogamos que a mesma seja sancionada, colocando o Estado do Rio de Janeiro em uma posição de vanguarda no cenário nacional.
Atenciosamente,
(Your name and, if relevant, your organization, and your address)
I write to ask you to ratify Public Law 2385/01, sponsored by Deputies Carlos Minc and Sergio Cabral, which modifies Law 285/79 by adding a paragraph to Article 29 which deals with the benefits accorded to state employees. With your assent, this law will guarantee to employees of the State of Rio de Janeiro the same rights for their same-sex partners as such, meeting the conditions of a stable union, which are established by Article 1 of Law 285/79.
Although less progressive sectors of Brazilian society--fortunately, a minority--wish to devalue this project, citing questions of a religious and/or purely moral character, without a basis in scientific knowledge and opposed to the values of the most liberal and democratic societies, we are certain that you will base your decision on intelligence and justice. For that reason we ask you to approve this law, placing the State of Rio de Janeiro in the position of a vanguard in the national scene.
Yours truly,
