Amid a challenging global landscape for LGBTQIA+ rights, a story of community action and justice has emerged from Brazil. While 2025 has seen significant rollbacks of protections in Europe and the U.S. and violent attacks worldwide, a coordinated campaign demonstrates the power of collective mobilization.
The case centers on the brutal murder of Carol Campelo, a young lesbian. Following her death, the international petition organization All Out worked with Campelo’s mother and local partners to organize a vigil in her honor. The group then launched a petition demanding justice, which was rapidly signed by more than 125,000 of its members.
Those signatures were delivered directly to the court overseeing the case. The campaign proved effective: Carol Campelo’s killer was sentenced to nearly 28 years in prison and was convicted on a hate crime charge.
Sarah Mitchell of All Out highlighted this victory as a testament to connected communities. The organization points to its WhatsApp program as a key tool for this connection, allowing people to receive alerts on urgent threats to LGBTQ+ people globally and learn how to support frontline activists.
This outcome in Brazil stands as a pointed example of how focused public pressure can help achieve accountability, even during a period of widespread setbacks for human rights.
