I do love to travel. So much so, that when a friend invited me to travel to Curatiba in Brazil I was not going to turn down the offer.
So here I am in the south of Brazil, in what to me is a rather unusual AirBnB — but something that is very common here. It’s basically an entire tower block turned over to AirBnB accommodations. I’ll describe this in another post later, but it’s quite remarkable. I think it’s what happens when there’s little in the way of regulation around this type of accommodation.
The rooms are small, they have a basic kitchen and a bathroom. Travelling with Sylvester, the bathroom arrangements are rather important. The fact that the place is so small is a concern. To put it delicately, after a visit to the bathroom by Sylvester, there’s what is best described as an environmental hazard for some time.
Sylvester, bless him, had bashfully suggested buying a scented candle, however there really is only so much one can ask of a candle. To be quite honest I also feel disinclined to have a naked flame around at a moment like this. Unusual as it may seem, our bathroom seems to have two doors, one opening inwards and another opening outwards. I can only put this down to a serendipitous choice buy the management to limit the blast radius from Sylvester’s bowel movements.
But to other matters. Here in Curatiba there is a great acceptance of trans people. While this is the case in many modern large cities, it seems even more so here in Brazil. If I am assaulted in the street here, I think it more likely to be because I am in the street here, rather than because I am visibly trans. A comforting thought indeed. Of course, there’s always time for me to learn otherwise as I will be here for another week.
What makes this doubly curious though is the fact that the former president, Bolsonaro, is likely to get re-elected come the next election. Like Trump, he faces a number of charges which in the past almost certainly would have made his candidacy very questionable at best. And yet, as the USA has set the precedent he will likely get elected, evicserate the justice system and go on to serve his term. It is hard to have faith that he will honor term limits. Such thoughts, once unthinkable, are now perfectly valid concerns.
Regardless of whether or not one is openly trans, an ally, or simply aspirationally trans, this is a dangerous time and (and I say this not as a pessimist, but as one who is plugged into reality) things are looking increasingly likely to become even more precarious.
At at time when ICE agents board school busses full of elementary school children in the land of the (once) free, to sweep up what are euphemistically called ‘illegals’ — we are truly returning to a time of Schindler’s List. It is increasingly difficult to look at global developments and the slide to values of the ‘right’ and not wonder, is this a good time to become a visible minority.
The old answer comes back; this is not a choice.