Rights and faith in the trajectories of Benedita da Silva and Mônica Francisco: black favela evangelical women and (anti)gender ideology

Abstract

The political mobilization of the evangelical identity has been associated with conservatism and especially with anti-gender ideology. Since black and peripheral women are the majority among evangelicals, we investigate whether religious belonging determines their political views and actions, based on the trajectories of legislators Benedita da Silva and Mônica Francisco, with special regard to two elements of that ideology: attacks on the rights of LGBTI people and abortion rights. We conducted bibliographical and documentary research and concluded that these legislators do not promote such ideology. Additionally, their religious belonging composes arrangements and repertories along with other identity and collective affiliations (movements) – black women from the favela – that inform their place in the world and their political commitments. We highlight the racist homogenization of black people and suggest scientific openness to the identification of different forms of agency by black evangelical women.