Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court (STF) has struck down municipal bans on inclusive language in schools, reaffirming that only the federal government can legislate on language policy. The decision is a victory for LGBTQ+ and progressive movements fighting for educational inclusion and against local conservative offensives.

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Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court has delivered a landmark ruling, declaring that only the Union,the federal government,has the constitutional authority to legislate on language use in schools. This decision invalidates municipal laws in Porto Alegre, São Gonçalo, and Muriaé that banned inclusive language, marking a significant victory for progressive social movements and the broader struggle for educational and gender equality.

The debate over inclusive language has become a flashpoint in Brazil’s ongoing culture wars. Conservative politicians, often aligned with religious groups, have pushed for local and state-level bans on gender-neutral and inclusive language in education, framing their efforts as a defense of “traditional values” against so-called “gender ideology”. These initiatives have been met with fierce resistance from LGBTQ+ organizations, educators, and leftist political parties, who argue that such bans perpetuate discrimination and silence minorities.

The STF’s ruling is clear: municipalities and states cannot override national education policy or restrict linguistic rights in the classroom. The court found that local bans not only usurp federal authority but also violate constitutional guarantees of equality, freedom of expression, and access to comprehensive education. Justice André Mendonça, supported by a majority of ministers, emphasized that language legislation is the exclusive domain of the Union, reaffirming the federal government’s role in protecting pluralism and diversity in public education.

The text reads:Three municipal laws were blocked 📑🚫.The Supreme Federal Court (STF) declared unconstitutional three municipal laws that prohibited the use of gender-neutral language in schools and public administration. The rules were created by the city governments of Porto Alegre (RS), São Gonçalo (RJ), and Muriaé (MG), and stipulated that only the standard grammatical norm of Portuguese could be used, expressly banning any inclusive variation of the language

A Victory for Social Movements and Educational Inclusion

This decision comes after sustained advocacy by civil society groups, including the National LGBTI+ Alliance and the Brazilian Association of Homotransgender Families, who challenged the local bans as discriminatory and unconstitutional. For years, LGBTQ+ activists have turned to the courts to defend and expand rights, often in the face of legislative backlash and rising political violence against marginalized communities. The STF’s ruling builds on previous decisions that have criminalized LGBT phobia and affirmed the right to comprehensive sexuality education, positioning the judiciary as a crucial ally in the fight against exclusion and censorship.

#RAEconsultas Lo que comúnmente se ha dado en llamar «lenguaje inclusivo» es un conjunto de estrategias que tienen por objeto evitar el uso genérico del masculino gram., mecanismo firmemente asentado en la lengua y que no supone discriminación sexista alguna.

— RAE (@RAEinforma) November 7, 2024

The text reads:#RAEconsultas What is commonly called “inclusive language” is a set of strategies that aim to avoid the generic use of the masculine gram., a mechanism firmly established in the language and which does not imply any sexist discrimination

Inclusive language is more than a matter of grammar; it is a tool for visibility, dignity, and social transformation. As linguist Luiz Carlos Schwindt notes, language reflects and shapes social hierarchies, and efforts to make it more inclusive challenge the historic invisibility of women, LGBTQ+ people, and other marginalized groups. Strategies such as gender-neutral pronouns and non-binary forms are part of broader movements for educational justice and respect for diverse identities. The STF’s decision affirms that denying inclusive language in schools is an attack on the right to identity and an obstacle to building a more just and plural society.

Despite this legal victory, the struggle for inclusive education in Brazil is far from over. Conservative forces, emboldened by previous right-wing administrations, continue to push anti-gender and anti-diversity agendas at all levels of government. Hundreds of bills seeking to restrict “gender ideology” or “indoctrination” remain under consideration, and political violence against LGBTQ+ activists persists. As the STF’s ruling makes clear, the defense of pluralism, equality, and educational freedom requires constant vigilance and mobilization by progressive movements and their allies.

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