By attacking STF minister for neutral language, Bolsonaro confuses RO with SC

Iury Lima – Cenarium Magazine

VILHENA (RO) – It was during an interview given to Jovem Pan News on Monday, 10, that the President of the Republic, Jair Bolsonaro (PL), attacked the minister of the Supreme Court (STF), Edson Fachin, for having suspended a law that prohibited the use and discussion of neutral language in classrooms of public and private schools in Rondônia, in addition to employment in public competitions. However, Bolsonaro was barely sure if the decision was, in fact, Fachin’s, in addition to confusing the state that is part of the Legal Amazon with Santa Catarina, in the South of the country.

“If I’m not mistaken, Santa Catarina… Yes, Santa Catarina. There is a law there that was sanctioned by the governor prohibiting neutral language. What did Minister Fachin do? I think it was Fachin. He gave an injunction against this law that was there in Santa Catarina (…)”, declared the president. “What kind of country is this? What kind of minister is this of the Supreme Court? What does he have in his head?”, Bolsonaro inquired, in an ironic tone.

Bolsonaro referred to Law No. 5.123/2021, authored by State Representative Eyder Brasil (PSL), approved by the Legislative Assembly of Rondônia (ALE-RO) and sanctioned by Governor Colonel Marcos Rocha (PSL). The device came into force in October last year, but was suspended the following month by Fachin.

For the minister, the law is synonymous with censorship, because it has the “immense” risk of silencing teachers and students in school environments, since it prohibited the use and discussion of inclusive terms in public and private institutions, as well as in public competitions.

Unpreparedness

In the evaluation of political scientist Carlos Santiago, heard by CENARIUM, the head of the National Executive, besides having given a sample of unpreparedness in conducting and lack of knowledge about the politics and geography of the Country he commands, overflowed, once again, only his own interests.

“President Bolsonaro’s posture only reproduces old prejudices and seeks to win votes from conservative sectors of the Brazilian electorate. The country is very miserable, unemployed, and is going through the worst health tragedy in its history, guidelines that should be major concerns of the president”, said Santiago.

Different laws

Unlike the Rondônia law, the device approved in the state of Santa Catarina prohibits “new forms of gender and number inflection of words in the Portuguese language, contrary to consolidated grammatical rules”. The measure is also valid for public competitions, but extends to official documents of state administration bodies and educational institutions, while Eyder Brasil’s law, in the territory of Rondonia, aims to silence educators and students about the issue.

Necessary variation

Defended by experts, linguists and activists of the LGBTQIA+ cause, neutral language is seen as an advance and necessary for the inclusion of those who do not fit into pre-established social standards, such as the known genders in the way they have been imposed for centuries, that is, male and female.

The neutral terms embrace, mainly, those who are considered non-binary, that is, neither man nor woman. This is why the masculine or feminine portuguese articles in certain words are replaced by the letters ‘x’ or ‘e’. Thus, ‘todos’ (everyone) becomes ‘todxs’ and ‘amigo’ (friend) becomes ‘amigue’, for example.

“Language is not static. It undergoes constant change in time, in social space, in the interaction between people, and in the interaction between man and nature. Depending on how it is imposed, it can represent prejudice, freedom, and also social exclusion. The formal and institutional language in Brazil does not translate today’s social relations. Therefore, neutral language is more inclusive and represents a new approach to language”, defends Carlos Santiago.

“The state, the school, and the region must promote peace, knowledge, and the dignity of the human person, regardless of gender, social class, color, and creed. Banning neutral language does not contribute to the plurality and diversity of social life”, concluded the political scientist.