Click here: to donate by Credit Card
Or here: to donate by PayPal
Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794
Thank you very much and God bless you.
Posted on 08/07/2025 12:07:59 PM PDT by grundle
In a precedent-setting move, a European country has officially granted full refugee protections to a Brazilian women’s rights activist who was facing 25 years in prison in her home country for misgendering a transgender politician. Isabella Cêpa is the first person to be recognized as a victim of state persecution for her outspoken opposition to gender identity ideology.
As previously reported by Reduxx, Cêpa first came under criminal investigation after she made a social media post about Erika Hilton – a male politician who “identifies” as a woman. Hilton was elected to São Paulo’s municipal government in November of 2020, winning his seat by a landslide that gave him the title of the most voted-for ‘woman’ in Brazil.
At the time of his victory, Hilton was celebrated in international media as being a “symbolic triumph” for transgender people. Hilton was amongst the top 10 most-voted for candidates in all of Brazil, and was touted as the “only woman” to make the list.
It was the widespread announcement of his victory that first put him on Cêpa’s radar.
“At the time I didn’t even know who this person was. I just saw a headline on an Instagram page celebrating that ‘the most voted woman in São Paulo is a transwoman,’” Cêpa told Reduxx during a 2022 interview, recounting how her ordeal began. “Then, I shared a video with my followers saying I was disappointed to hear that the most voted-for woman in São Paulo – later found out that it was in the entire country – was a man.”
Hilton later reported Cêpa, an outspoken feminist activist, to the police, prompting a criminal investigation. In January 2022, authorities summoned Cêpa to a station for questioning. It was then that she learned Hilton had filed a complaint over her remarks on social media.
After speaking with police, Cêpa remained unaware of any further developments in her case until June 2022, when a reporter from a major Brazilian newspaper contacted her for comment on an article about the charges. It was only after the article was published that Cêpa discovered she was being charged with five counts of “social racism.” The charge stems from a 2019 decision by Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court, which ruled that discrimination against ‘LGBTQ Community’ constituted a penal offense, and fell under existing race-based protections as a form of “racism.”
Prior to pressing charges, the Public Prosecutor had combed through Cêpa’s social media posts to find additional statements that could be perceived as “transphobic.” From the news article, Cêpa discovered that she was facing up to 25 years in prison for the supposed “crime.”
In July of 2024, Cêpa was stopped at the Salvador Bahia Airport while attempting to travel to Spain to visit a friend. Federal agents flagged an alert linked to her passport and pulled her aside for further inspection. During the subsequent interview, authorities reportedly determined that her situation could meet the criteria for political persecution. In response, they contacted the airline she had booked with and instructed them not to depart without her on board. An officer then escorted Cêpa onto the plane and advised her against returning to Brazil, marking the beginning of a period of statelessness. In June of 2025, Cêpa formally applied for refugee status.
Reduxx has now confirmed that Cêpa has successfully obtained refugee status with the assistance of the European Union Agency for Asylum — making her the first Brazilian citizen to receive this designation for state persecution since 1985. Reduxx is withholding the name of the host country to protect Cêpa’s privacy.
Speaking to Reduxx, MATRIA Brazil, a women’s rights organization, welcomed the decision but voiced frustration with the Brazilian government.
“MATRIA has been following Isabella Cêpa’s persecution from the very beginning. Together, we exhausted every institutional avenue available within Brazil, always respecting the country’s laws and sovereignty — including taking her to a meeting with then-Minister for Women, Cida Gonçalves, so she could present her case in person. The Minister showed no concern and took no action to protect a Brazilian woman facing political persecution. No other official channel offered any support either,” a MATRIA representative stated.
“Cêpa was left with no choice but to resort to the last and most extreme measure: seeking political asylum abroad. MATRIA drafted a formal letter in support of her application, describing the threats she faced in Brazil. For her safety, we do not have further details, but we can confirm she is now safe in a European country.”
MATRIA emphasized the broader significance of Cêpa’s case, noting that it marks the first time an individual has been recognized as facing persecution for their criticism of gender ideology.
“Cêpa is the first Brazilian since the end of our military dictatorship to be granted political asylum on the grounds of state persecution — and the first woman in the world to receive this status for being targeted over her dissent on trans ideology. This is a reality many women face across the globe. It is deeply troubling that in our own country, democracy, freedom of belief, and freedom of speech appear to no longer apply. Many women — not only Isabella — are being harassed and silenced simply for speaking the truth: that sex matters, and that men cannot become women by an act of will.”
Cêpa’s successful refugee bid is the first of its kind, and will set a precedent for other individuals facing legal and social repercussions for their gender-critical beliefs. It can now be used as case of reference by any person in the world facing the same kind of persecution.
As previously reported by Reduxx, multiple Brazilians have faced criminal charges for statements or commentary deemed “transphobic.” Earlier this year, women’s rights activist Karen Mizuno revealed she had been notified by police that she may face criminal charges after mocking a trans activist who claimed that “archaeologists are transphobic.” Mizuno faces up to three years in prison.
In another ongoing case, two staff members from the Federal University of Paraíba are fighting criminal charges for allegedly “misgendering” a transgender student.
|
|
Click here: to donate by Credit Card Or here: to donate by PayPal Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794 Thank you very much and God bless you. |
Well hell, you normally get 10 to 12 for murder/
Improper pronouns get you 25
Imagine being in such deep denial of who and what you naturally are, that you would be willing, even eager to ruin the life of someone who chose not to play along with your word games and semantics. You would be willing to help take their personal freedom away, all so that you could continue gazing into the mirror and telling yourself yet another lie.
Pathetic and dangerous.
Wonder which one... We can probably rule out the UK. My guess would be Italy.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.