Brazilian YouTube star Felipe Neto responded to a politician’s attempts to censor LGBT+ books by giving thousands away for free.
Neto, who is one of Brazil’s most popular YouTubers with 34 million subscribers, made the grand gesture after Mayor of Rio de Janeiro Marcelo Crivella tried to ban sales of books with LGBT+ themes at the Rio International Book Biennial.
The right-wing politician had sought to censor books on sale after taking exception to an Avengers comic book that features a kiss between two male superheroes, claiming it is “unsuitable for minors.”
In a video, Felipe Neto branded the attempted censorship a “sad day for Brazilian democracy,” adding: “Love is not porn. Love should not be censored. It cannot be prohibited for minors.”
Announcing his response, he explained: “We need to send a message of unity, to show these people there is no way that they will censor LGBT+ content.
“So I bought all the stock of all the major LGBT-themed books at the festival, and they will all be delivered for free, tomorrow, to those who are there and want a free book.” Read more via PinkNews
'Mandamos um recado claro para a censura', diz @felipeneto após distribuição de 14 mil livros com temática LGBT na Bienal do Rio https://t.co/D3upUlCRiq pic.twitter.com/Btd4r8w3iz
— E+Estadão (@Emais_Estadao) September 8, 2019