Leilane Assunção

Leilane Assunção (Ceará-Mirim, 14 March 1981 – Natal, 13 November 2018) was a historian, university professor, feminist, anti-prohibitionist and human rights activist. She is considered the first transgender woman to hold a professorship at a Brazilian university. She held a doctorate in Social Sciences from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN) and advocated for LGBTQ rights, especially transgender rights.

Biography Leilane Assunção enrolled at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN) to study History, where she underwent gender transition at age 24. However, her chosen name was not recognized by the institution until 2011, leading her to file lawsuits against the university itself.

Awards and homages In 2011, she received the Dr. Berenice Bento Human Rights Award in the Gender Equality category from then-President Dilma Rousseff for defending transgender rights. She has received acknowledgments in master's theses, books, and scientific publications.

In 2023, councilwoman Brisa Bracchi proposed the creation of the Leilane Assunção Commendation, for those who stand out in promoting LGBTQ rights in Natal. In 2024, the Natal City Council approved the creation of the Leilane Assunção Commendation.

In her honor, collectives and organizations bearing her name have been created, such as the Coletivo LGBT+ Leilane Assunção in Natal and the Coletivo Leilane Assunção, linked to the Institute of Philosophy and Human Sciences (IFCH) at Unicamp.

Death Leilane Assunção died at age 37, a victim of an infection caused by a fungus, after 30 days hospitalized at Giselda Trigueiro Hospital, in Natal.