Bolsonaro is a famous name worldwide for all the wrong reasons, the Brazilan politician, who won the presidential elections last October is a self-proclaimed ‘proud homophobe’ and will begin his presidential term on the first of January.

The LGBT+ community in Brazil tried everything they could to avoid Bolsonaro winning, but unfortunately, the extreme right-wing won and people are not sure what could happen once he finally gets the power to rule the country.

His homophobic, racist, pro-torture statements have been shared all over the globe. It is shocking that someone would actually say what he says, in 2018, or even more, when you are running for such a big position, as the presidency. Some statements such as:

“If your son is effeminate, the only solution is beating the shit out of him to teach him how to be a man”

“Women should not earn more money than men because they get pregnant”

“The slavery of black people in Brazil was not so bad”

“The problem with the dictatorship in Brazil was that they tortured more than they killed”

We could list all the barbaric statements of the new president for hours, it is just getting worse, sadly for the Brazilian community.

In what is a bitter/sweet trend, more LGBT+ people are getting married before Bolsonaro takes over for fear that their rights to get married might be repealed. One of the biggest supporters of the president is the Evangelical and Catholic churches, in one of his statements would defend and promote “the true meaning of marriage, as the union between a man and a woman”. Nothing new there after all the ignorant things that come out of his mouth, but definitely a concern against the few rights that the LGBT+ community in Brazil still have.

One notary association said that so far this year there had been a 25% increase in same-sex marriages in Brazil, and a 42% increase in São Paulo, the country’s largest city, compared to last year.

Maria Berenice Dias, the Brazilian Bar Association’s director of sexual diversity, has recommended that couples who want to formalize their union do so before the end of the year “as a precaution”.

Rossanna Pinheiro absentmindedly checked her social networks last Sunday when a “free job” offer caught her eye. Some acquaintance has used the hashtag #casamentolgbt (#LGBTWEDDING) to offer labour until the end of the year for couples who have decided to anticipate the fears of losing rights after the inauguration of President-elect Jair Bolsonaro and a more conservative congressional seat.

Owner of a Karaoke Company, Rossanna was inspired by the idea and also offered her services. In just a few hours, there were so many likes, shares and comments from people that she decided to create a Facebook page to organize supply and demand by region. Just two days later, there were more than 1,500 subscribers on the page and hundreds of comments from people offering professional help in the most diverse areas.

“I do not know who created this idea, but I thought I could help. We want to marry those who do not really have financial conditions and are afraid of losing civil law. In addition to the registry fee, we already managed to sort out the other party things. A bride already wrote to me that she was crying with joy. I can not say it’s a free job because it’s going to have a comeback,” he says.

The volunteers were part of an online movement to help hundreds of low-income, same-sex couples get married before the end of the year. “They are our angels,” said Cicconi.

Many couples are paying it forward and volunteering at other couple’s ceremonies: wedding photographers, Fernanda Pinacio and Vanessa Cafasso, had also decided to get married before Bolsonaro’s inauguration and offered their services for free.

Some couples and organizations are also planning collective weddings. One LGBT+ shelter in São Paulo has raised enough money to pay legal fees and throw a party for 100 same-sex couples later this month.

The same shelter has also raised funds to pay notary fees for 150 trans people who are rushing to legally change their names and gender before Bolsonaro takes office.

In São Paulo, event producer Caique Paz is one of those who continued the movement of Rossanna’s page. Six couples who have contacted him will already have the ceremonies organized with the help of the community.

“I wrote the post and thought it would only reach my circle. But they began to share and several people volunteered. From the buffet, services, waiters, hair, hairstyle, makeup, ceremonialist. It’s very possible that we can do everything without cost, the only thing missing is a place,” he says.

“It was an organic and simultaneous movement. At first, we announced that we would choose five couples. But I’ve already gotten in touch with about 300 volunteers. We will extend to at least 20, “says Iran Giusti, founder of Casa 1.

“Although this is not the priority of the house, the guarantee of this right has become a demand of the movement as a whole. We’re being put in a very difficult place, it’s a real threat. Let’s make the marriage not only in the legal field but also the celebration. It is important to have all the symbols within that process as part of a political act, ” he adds.