During election periods, political engagement on social media intensifies as they become platforms for campaigns, debates among citizens, and between voters and candidates. We have noticed for several years now that in this context, topics related to social markers of difference come to the forefront with greater force. However, when we try to revisit the debates and controversies that occurred during these moments, we encounter significant difficulties. Without any organized records, they get lost in endless feeds, the deletion of pages and profiles, or the decision to “close” websites and social media accounts.

For this reason, between August and September 2016, during the campaign period for municipal elections in Brazil, the Inequalities and Identities area monitored profiles of human rights activists to track and document discussions on gender, race, sexuality, regional origin, social class, and their relationship with politics and the Internet on a weekly basis.

To contribute to the construction of a digital memory of this period, we published the report #OtherVoices: Gender, Race, Class, and Sexuality in the 2016 Elections, summarizing what we had already been reporting in the Internet, Voices, and Votes Bulletins.

The report was launched at the event “What is the role of the Internet in Brazilian politics?” and discussed in the panel “Challenges of Action: Activism and (In)Visibility on the Internet“, with the participation of Natália Neris (Coordinator of the area), Tatiana Dias (Journalist), Pablo Ortellado (EACH-USP), and Larissa Santiago (Blogueiras Negras). Watch the video of the discussion here.