Federal deputy Erika Hilton (PSOL-SP) was elected president of the Chamber of Deputies' Women's Rights Defense Commission on Wednesday, 11, becoming the first transsexual woman in the role. The election sparked mixed reactions, with right-wing lawmakers protesting her representativeness and others offering support. Hilton advocated for a management focused on plural women's issues and combating violence against women.
The Women's Rights Defense Commission was installed in the Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday, 11, and Erika Hilton (PSOL-SP) was elected its president by unanimous slate, with 11 favorable votes in the second round, after 10 yes votes and 12 blanks in the first. Laura Carneiro (PSD-RJ) was chosen as 1st vice-president, Adriana Accorsi (PT-GO) as 2nd, and Socorro Neri (PP-AC) as 3rd.
Hilton's election, the first transsexual woman in the position, prompted protests from right-wing lawmakers. Deputy Clarissa Tércio (PP-PE) criticized the choice, stating: “I can't congratulate what happened here today. Because the deputy assumes this chair with a very heavy weight, of having divided this commission, of having 12 blank votes”. She questioned Hilton's representativeness for cisgender women, saying that “only those who live this reality have the authority to speak about it”.
Chris Tonietto (PL-RJ) echoed the criticism, warning that the commission should not become an “electoral political stage”. Deputy Éder Mauro (PL-PA) respected Hilton but argued the role should be held by a cisgender woman, citing high femicide rates and wage inequalities. Outside the commission, Paulo Bilynskyj (PL-SP) posted on social media that Hilton “lost the election [...] to the BLANK VOTES”.
Deputies such as Sâmia Bonfim (PSOL-SP), Erika Kokay (PT-DF), and Juliana Cardoso (PT-SP) congratulated Hilton. In her speech, the elected president highlighted that her nomination represents overcoming the “barrier of hate and prejudice”. She promised plural management, focused on issues like violence against women, and advocated combating “red pill” content on the internet and regulating digital platforms to address patriarchal misogyny.
