'It is not right to honor someone who killed their daughter,' says Nunes about the project to change the name of Peixoto Gomide Street
São Paulo's Mayor Ricardo Nunes proposes renaming Peixoto Gomide Street to Sophia Gomide Street as part of a campaign against public honors for perpetrators of feminicide.
The Mayor of São Paulo, Ricardo Nunes, is advocating for the renaming of Peixoto Gomide Street to Sophia Gomide Street, contingent upon approval from the City Council. This initiative seeks to rectify the commemoration of Senator Francisco de Assis Peixoto Gomide Júnior, who infamously killed his daughter in 1906 due to his disapproval of her marriage. The proposed name change is a direct response to the history of violence against women and aims to align with contemporary values regarding justice and recognition of victims.
Nunes emphasized the moral implications of honoring individuals with violent pasts, particularly those who have committed feminicide, stating that it is inappropriate to celebrate someone who killed their own child. This proposal is part of a larger campaign titled "Feminicida não é herói" (Feminicide is not a hero), which seeks to promote awareness and discourage public honors for feminicide perpetrators in the city. The mayor has expressed his commitment to sanction the law if it receives legal backing from the council, highlighting an increasing societal intolerance toward violence against women.
The renaming of Peixoto Gomide Street is still pending a vote in the plenary, but if successful, it could serve as a significant step in acknowledging and addressing historical injustices against women in Brazil. This initiative reflects a broader shift in public sentiment towards accountability for gender-based violence and represents efforts to elevate the names of female victims rather than those who have perpetrated such crimes. The conversation around the renaming underscores the importance of how society remembers its history, especially in relation to gender violence and the need for societal reform.