In Brazil, right-wing politicians and online influencers have increasingly weaponised anti-trans sentiment to build social media followings and mobilise voters, according to activists and researchers. The trend gained wider attention after conservative congressman Nikolas Ferreira — now Brazil's most-followed active politician with 22 million Instagram followers — amplified the story of trans graphic designer Kim Flores, who in 2022 was refused a waxing appointment in São Paulo, reframing her account as evidence of a threat to women's spaces; in November 2025, a court ordered Ferreira to pay roughly USD 7,600 in damages to Flores for transphobia and hate speech, though he publicly dismissed the ruling as persecution. Analysts warn that such tactics, supercharged by social media platforms whose engagement incentives reward outrage, push trans people further to the margins of Brazilian society — even as a record number of trans candidates ran for office in 2022, with four winning seats in national and state legislatures.