Leite, 36, who is governor of the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, came out on television last week, leading rivals to accuse him of trying to exploit his sexuality for political gain ahead of next year’s presidential election. “I’ve got nothing against his private life, but he cannot impose his lifestyle on others,” said Bolsonaro, who once declared that if he had a gay son, he would rather the child died in an accident.
But Leite, who would become Brazil’s first openly gay presidential candidate if he wins a party primary later this year, denied his decision to come out to the nation was politically motivated. “There was no political intention besides the truth,” said Leite, who became Brazil’s youngest state governor in 2019 after