LGBT advertising in Brazil: representations of gender and sexuality in the media

June is LGBTQIA+ Pride month: a period which invites society to reflect on various issues related to the subject, including LGBT advertising in Brazil. Have you ever stopped to think about the protagonists of television commercials and how they are portrayed? Or about how brands represent people in advertising campaigns?

It was with this discussion in mind that our Diversity and Inclusion team scheduled an important conversation between our employees and UFRGS professor André Rodrigues, about LGBT representation in advertising. Rodrigues has a Master’s and Doctorate in Communication and Information and is also a researcher in the areas of history, gender, sexuality, strategic communication and advertising.

At the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century in particular, many Brazilian commercials by major brands used the fragile masculinity of their audiences as fuel for their advertising, resulting in productions in which LGBT relationships were always a source of mockery. “Traditionally masculine” products and brands such as beer and cars were often rooted in ideas like virility, male domination, gender superiority and aversion to homosexuality, resulting in advertising campaigns that spoke to their consumers.

You’ll probably remember one or more commercials, from not too long ago, which included jokes at the expense of an LGBTQIA+ person, women or other historically disadvantaged minorities. Unfortunately, this was socially acceptable. However, social transformations both to date and yet to come have empowered certain parts of society, and have caused a major upheaval in advertising, both in Brazil and worldwide.

Over the last decade, LGBT advertising has made significant progress (in newspapers, radio, television, social networks and cultural productions, for example). But there is still plenty of work to be done. It is still a rare occurrence for gay people to be the protagonists of an advertising campaign. Brands frequently sign off on LGBT-themed advertising campaigns, but typically this is just a strategy to be socially accepted by consumers, rather than a genuine effort to promote the cause.

In ancient times, affective relationships were configured differently – women were seen merely as reproductive beings, and homosexual relationships were common. Thus the heteronormativity which determines the direction of modern society is, in a way, a social construction. And visual representations are typically inserted into this dominant logic.

We know that people’s gender and sexuality do not interfere with their abilities. Famous LGBTQIA+ personalities such as Alan Turing and Oscar Wilde have made great contributions to humanity throughout history. Unfortunately, prejudice has resulted in even these brilliant people being persecuted for their sexual identity.

Today, change takes place at an accelerated rate, and the LGBTIQA+ population has been able to establish their rights, occupy spaces which were previously withheld from them, and increasingly combat prejudice. In advertising, we can already see some progress, albeit often motivated by commercial reasons. For example, a brand which runs an advert for its new product, celebrating the month of LGBTQIA+ Pride and containing all the colors of the rainbow, may do little or nothing to hire and value employees who belong to the cause.

This challenging landscape for LGBT advertising is not limited to a specific country. In Latin America, for example, the rights conquered by the LGBTQIA+ population vary according to the legislation in force in each country. In general, the states with the largest economies – such as Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay, Mexico and Chile – have made the most advances in recent years.

However, obstacles still exist in the region which need to be overcome if LGBTQIA+ representation is to reach the optimal level. Latin American companies should bear in mind the great diversity of our people in order to represent it in the best possible way. Latin America is LGBTQIA+; it is indigenous and mixed race too, and deserves to have its population faithfully portrayed throughout all media spheres and audiovisual campaigns.

All members of society – and especially the LGBTQIA+ community – should be aware of this, and demand action from social institutions (the government and media, for example) to solve the structural and historical problems that unfortunately continue to affect minorities. Fighting for the reliable and respectful representation of its members in LGBT advertising is essential, and a duty shared by all.

One day, hopefully, we may see more LGBT advertising agencies that focus on producing content with a starring role for the queer community. In any human production, it is essential to keep breaking down the barriers of prejudice, and creating a better world for future generations.