Brazilian Drag Queen Pabllo Vittar Uses Music as Platform to Champion LGBTQ Rights

Brazilian drag queen and pop star Pabllo Vittar is fiercer than ever. Named Phabullo Rodrigues da Silva, the 25-year old celebrity, who is known for her chart-topping songs, astounding fashion sense, open criticisms against the Brazilian government--which are also evident in her music--has recently released the first half of her new trilingual album which continues to champion LGBTQ rights.

Vittar, who identifies herself as gay and genderfluid, finds herself successful in the music streaming industry which has become one of South America's most popular global exports. Garnering 500,000 Spotify streams and a billion YouTube views for her hits arranged in combinations of Brazilian rhythms and American pop. She's has collaborated with music icons from around the world, including Charli XCX in her hit "Flash Pose", and Diplo in her "Então Vai."

The drag queen also proved to be a social media celebrity for having nine million followers on Instagram- even surpassing drag world heroine, RuPaul. In a Time interview, Vittar said even though there have been existing platforms where members of the LGBTQ could be heard like RuPaul's Drag Race and FX's Pose, drag queens can also use art to introduce to people what it is to be queer."

Four years since the flight of her career, Vittar has been relentless in using her platform as a musical celebrity to demand equality for queer communities in Brazil and other parts of Latin America. She performed at the World Pride parade, the U.N. Headquarters, and Rio's Carnival. Over the years, cases of LGBTQ killings has surged and peaked in 2017 at 445 people, with 30% rise on the previous year related directly to the virulent anti-gay sentiments championed by ultraconservative politicians, according to researchers.

In 2018, 420 LBGTQ people were killed, including Marielle Franco, a black, bisexual, feminist Rio de Janeiro who was a member of the city council. Meanwhile, repeated death threats prompted Jean Wyllys who was a gay federal lawmaker to resign from his seat. Worst of all, Brazil's very own president Jair Bolsonaro proclaimed himself as a self-professed homophone and even declared that he would "rather his son die in a car accident than be gay."

Due to this proclamation, Vittar has become more active in resisting the political oppression. But he does not end from fighting for queer rights but also for other social issues concerning his people. He also joined thousands of women in protest as part of the Ele Não (Portuguese for "not him") movement against the Brazilian president. Vittar also expressed his shame as a Brazilian "sometimes because of this president." "People are dying. People are having their homes and rights taken away," she added.

Vittar will continue to champion other drag queens during her world tour. She believes that as an artist, she has the duty to take a stance on things, and bringing along with his popularity the messages that really matter. She added that she is willing to risk her life trying to get her message across to people.