“Seed for Fight”: Activism, right to health and confrontations of LGBTI people in the covid-19 pandemic

Abstract

This study investigates how the health of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transvestite, transsexual, and intersex (LGBTI) people has been affected in the context of the covid-19 pandemic, by the perception of organized civil society activists in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. It is a qualitative analysis, which reports data from a larger study on the National Health Policy LGBTI. The survey was conducted between May and July 2020, with the application of online interviews. The focus was on the perceptions, individual and collective experiences of activists on the theme of LGBTI health, amidst the covid-19 pandemic. We found effects on community mobilization; access to health services; mental health; and situations of violence and social protection. The study concluded that the collective interventions of LGBTI people are fundamental in contexts of health crisis and support the guarantee of the right to health and the preservation of public policies for this population.