Looking to relocate due to my sexuality and want to find a place where I can be treated as a normal human being—both as an Asian and as a gay man. After some research, I believe São Paulo could be a good option for me, considering its LGBTQ+ friendliness and relatively low cost of living. I’m posting here because I’d like to hear opinions from locals before I start learning Portuguese. Am I being unrealistic, or could São Paulo actually be a good choice for me?
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I used to live in São Paulo and I remember there were parks where men would even walk around holding hands. It is like that in most big cities in the world tbh.
Yes, São Paulo is great. Any big city in Brazil is actually pretty good, but the bigger the community, the better.
Receptiveness yes, but the cost of living in the city of São Paulo is high for those who earn in the local currency.
Any medium to large city in the state such as Sorocaba, Campinas and Jundiaí offers the same with living costs that may be lower.
São Paulo is very chill with it, it’s one of the most progressive cities for the lgbt community in Brazil imo, you will probably be shocked even due to how liberal it is
Not really cheap compared to to the country side or other capitals tho, but if you can afford, you will find a huge lgbt community
r/saopaulo
Yes, São Paulo is probably the most progressive city in Brazil, and we also have a sizable chinese community.
Cost of living isn’t exactly cheap, mainly because of housing.
São Paulo is a relatively safe city, but you should be wary of pickpocketing.
Public transportation varies a little, some suburbs lack proper coverage, but if you live near the metro system you will be fine. If you would like to have a car you be ready to face slow traffic.
Public Healthcare is decent, but I would still recommend private health insurance if you can afford it.
São Paulo can be a very fun city, here you will find plenty of things to do.
If you do decide to come here welcome!
Low cost of living? I assume your income is in a strong currency and that’s why you think that. São Paulo is very expensive and, if you’re planing to work for brazilian currency, then it’s even more expensive.
You do know LATAMs favorite passtime Is bullying right?
Like it’s so entrenched we don’t even register it. Don’t get me wrong we will accept you with open arms but we will also mock you relentlessly, cause we do that to everyone.
Absolutely. And go to Rio in the Carnival. Its like the gay paradise or something
São Paulo’s relatively low cost of living is accompanied by relatively low salaries. I’d make sure to have funds to help ease a transition to a career you can develop here.
Beyond that, São Paulo is exactly what you’re looking for. It’s racially diverse, super gay friendly, and there is plenty to do. Would for sure recommend considering it!
It depends on what kind of work you will do. Are you a highly-educated professional? If you can afford to live in the top 5% income areas, the city is very liberal and quality of life is very high. If you don’t have a college degree, I strongly recommend against moving here unless you can forge connections within the chinese community to work in the informal commerce sector.
There is nothing extraordinary about the "gay-friendliness" of SP. You will see very few rainbow flags here (in fact I almost never see them), unlike in Europe and the US, and the amount of LGBT venues is rather limited to a few neighborhoods. People who aren’t from the occidentalized upper classes tend to be conservative and closeted men predominate on dating apps. As a foreigner you will feel no pressure whatsover but those who are born here often struggle a lot.
Yes
Depends if you’re willing to learn portuguese, but yeah, it’s a good choice.
Fun fact: the world’s biggest lgbt parade happened in São Paulo a few years ago, here’s the link: https://www.reddit.com/r/lgbt/s/2ulFzoh4in
Aftwr reading your question i cant ask myself What the hell is happening in China????
I’m not Brazilian so I can’t speak, but, if I may ask how’s being gay in China? I’ve heard it isn’t illegal albeit marriage is, and that China is a very socially conservative country.
Personally I don’t think you should choose Brazil as your destiny just because of your sexuality. There are plenty of others factors involved and a lot of other countries to help you in a better way.
If you choose SP or RJ, oh boy, a lot of crime, criminal organizations, theft, drugs, pollution and car traffic.
I am from the state of Santa Catarina (SC), in the south of Brazil. It is considered the better state to live in, and I myself already met a Chinese woman living here, some Japanese too.
But, as a Brazilian choosing another country to live better, I recommend Europe or the USA.
You would probably like Rio and São Paulo.
São Paulo is really the best option for you, just consider that the city is not cheap, not at all cheap and that you will meet any type of person there. However, if you can afford a rich neighborhood, it will be easy to find the Chinese and LGBT+ community, which I’m sure São Paulo has the largest number of these communities in Brazil.
Yes do it, Brazilians are hot and take a lot of care.of their bodies, and very LGBTQ friendly
oh yeah
SP is a city that toughens you. It is far from perfect, but nobody will care if you’re Asian here. The city is one of the biggest (if not the biggest) melting pots in Latin America. It has a very vibrant Asian community.
As for being openly gay here, honestly, I can’t talk about this experience. As a rule of thumb, nobody cares about what you do in SP, and I know many openly gay couples. But I don’t know if they feel safe and comfortable everywhere/in every neighborhood with PDAs, for example. As progressive as big cities in Brazil are, they’re still not Amsterdam or Berlin levels.
Also, for the people saying SP and RJ are the same – lol no. SP is definitely not the safest city in Brazil, but it is significantly safer than RJ.
The Chinese community in São Paulo is huge. São Paulo also has one of the biggest Mardi Grass in the world, so you will most definitely feel welcomed there. Just try your best to learn Portuguese asap as not a lot of people speak English, let alone mandarin or Cantonese.
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Yes, it’s very gay and trans friendly. There’s a very large Chinese diaspora as well.
Yes, you’ll be fine. Nobody will care that you are gay, and it is unlikely you will be persecuted due to it.
Yes esp if you like that BBC.
Yes, probably best in the world for a gay man.
I wouldn’t move to São Paulo therefore I don’t recommend it.
Big city, smoke, noise, pollution (visual, audio, air), lots of people, lots of violence.
Expensive.
Yes, there are up sides. But the downsides are too heavy on the balance. At least for me.
But hey, whatever floats your boat, wishing you good luck.