The Rio de Janeiro Court of Justice ordered federal deputy Marcelo Crivella to pay R$100,000 (about 19,000 USD) in collective moral damages for attempting to censor an LGBTQ+ themed comic book during the 2019 Rio Book Biennial.

The ruling, issued on appeal by the Rio de Janeiro State Court of Justice, upholds the understanding that the then-mayor’s actions violated collective rights by ordering the removal of copies of the comic “Avengers: The Children’s Crusade”, a Marvel publication that features a kiss between the characters Wiccan and Hulkling.

At the time, municipal agents were deployed to inspect works with content deemed “inappropriate for minors.” The city administration also argued that publications with this type of content should be sealed. In a statement shared on social media, Crivella said: “Folks, we need to protect our children. That’s why we instructed the Biennial organizers to remove books with content inappropriate for minors. It’s not right for them to have early access to subjects that are not appropriate for their age.”

The measure had an immediate impact. Still during the event, court decisions prevented the seizure of the copies on the grounds that the action constituted prior censorship, which is prohibited by the Constitution. The case reached the Supreme Federal Court, which upheld the ban on removing the works.

In 2025, the case returned to the news with reports that Crivella had been ordered to pay compensation, a decision still subject to appeal, as noted by Gay Blog Br. The most recent ruling, issued on appeal, confirms this understanding and strengthens the legal certainty of the conviction. Further appeals to higher courts are still possible, but at this stage the chances of reversal are more limited, since there is no reexamination of facts and evidence.

Court’s Understanding

In analyzing the case, the Court found that the then-mayor’s conduct resulted in unequal treatment in the handling of content depicting same-sex relationships. The ruling points to violations of constitutional principles such as equality, freedom of expression, and the prohibition of censorship.

The decision follows a line already advanced by the Public Prosecutor’s Office in the case, which pointed to differential treatment regarding content depicting affection between people of the same sex.

The compensation was set at R$100,000 and will be allocated to public funds aimed at combating discrimination based on sexual orientation.

The case is being handled in the civil sphere and does not involve criminal penalties; it concerns liability for collective damages arising from the use of public authority in a measure deemed incompatible with constitutional guarantees.

Universal homophobia

A licensed bishop of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, Marcelo Crivella has, throughout his political career, accumulated episodes that sparked reactions from LGBT organizations and movements. In 2020, during an electoral debate, he claimed that an opponent intended to turn Rio into the “world capital of gay tourism,” a statement that was criticized by civil associations. During the same period, he was also involved in an episode in which he used a term considered homophobic when referring to the then governor of São Paulo, João Doria, in a video that circulated on social media.

Also in 2020, Crivella was arrested in an operation investigating an alleged corruption scheme at Rio City Hall, a case that also had wide political repercussions. Earlier, in 2019, while serving as mayor, he led an attempt to remove publications with LGBT content at the Book Biennial, an episode that underpins the conviction now upheld by the courts.

Em repúdio a Crivella, Felipe Neto compra todos os livros LGBT+ da Bienal para distribuir de graça