What happened to you in Brazil? A conversation with Judith Butler.

This article is a conversation with Judith Butler, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, about their experience in Brazil in 2017. Butler attended a conference on democracy and authoritarianism but faced backlash from an ultraconservative group who organized a social media campaign against them. They were met with large crowds outside the venue who burned effigies and called them the devil. Despite the threats, Butler continued to speak about democracy and free speech. The article discusses the misconceptions and fears surrounding gender studies, emphasizing its role in critical thinking and open inquiry. Butler calls for alliances to fight against the anti-gender ideology movement and to continue questioning established narratives. The text also highlights the need to understand global discourses and practices of freedom and justice, as well as the dangers of internecine fighting within feminism. It emphasizes the importance of addressing patriarchal and heteronormative systems as sources of destruction in the world. [Extracted from the article]