LGBTQIA+ Community In Brazil Face Life-Threatening Dating App Dangers
Brazil’s LGBTQIA+ community is facing a scary situation. Since March, at least five gay men have been killed. Many more have been robbed at gunpoint as reported by Advocate. These crimes have a common thread: dating apps.
A Lover’s Day Turned Tragic
On the 12th of June, Brazil’s Lover’s Day, Leo Nunes, 24, fell victim to this trend. He had been chatting with someone on Hornet, a dating app. They planned to meet in São Paulo. Sadly, Nunes never made it home. Security footage shows two men on a motorcycle arriving at the meeting spot. They took Nunes’ phone and shot him dead. One suspect is now in custody.
Nunes isn’t the only victim. In April, Heleno Veggi Dumba, a gay doctor, was killed in São Paulo. He too had set up a date through an app. Instead of meeting his date, he met criminals who tried to rob him. They shot him in the head. Police have arrested three people for this crime.
Why are these crimes happening? Lawyer Wanderley Montanholi points to a sad truth. He says criminals know LGBTQIA+ people are easy targets. Many fear the police won’t help them due to homophobia. This makes them less likely to report crimes.
Gabriel, another gay man, shared his story. In March, he set up a date near where Nunes was later killed. He met several attackers instead. They held him at gunpoint and stole his phone. With his information, they emptied his bank account and maxed out his credit card.
Gabriel says many men have fallen for the same fake profile on Hornet. He told Hornet about it, but the profile stayed up for weeks. Hornet says they check all reports of misuse. They’ve added more staff to handle these issues. Grindr, another dating app, says they have safety features and work with police to stop abuse.
Nunes’ parents call his murder a hate crime but police and judges often avoid using this label. This, along with societal homophobia, makes survivors hesitant to report crimes. Lawyer Vanessa Vieira says many fear how reporting might affect their lives.
These events show the need for better safety measures on dating apps. They also highlight the ongoing struggle for LGBTQIA+ rights and safety in Brazil. As the community faces these challenges, awareness and caution are key. Love shouldn’t come at the cost of safety.
