ABSTRACT
The city of Rio de Janeiro has become a global gay tourist destination. However, despite the city’s gay-friendly, racially diverse reputation and pro-LGBT political gains, violence has increasingly endangered LGBT Brazilians amid the rise of extreme conservativism in both government and society. This violence is not only gendered but also racialized, disproportionately impacting Black women and LGBT youth. This chapter examines: 1) how Rio’s Black LGBT youth negotiate violence and exclusion in everyday life; and 2) how they use physical and virtual sites, as well as their own creative expression, to claim their stake in the production of urban space.
