Obrigado, Brazil

Brazil, inarguably one of the most progressive countries in the world when it comes to LGBT issues such as homophobia, HIV, and gender identity, is spearheading a move to expand its Brazil Without Homophobia program into Spanish-speaking South America and has obtained the agreement of all ten Mercosur nations to include sexual orientation and gender identity within their overall human rights agenda. (Mercosur is a South American trade organization consisting of Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela and Chile.) I have got to get down there and start expressing my thanks to the gay men of Brazil. One by one. Or all at once. Their choice.