A Brazilian state legislator sparked outrage this week after blackfacing by smearing dark foundation across her face and arms during a speech in the Sao Paulo assembly. Fabiana Bolsonaro, a member of the Sao Paulo Legislative Assembly, staged the demonstration on Wednesday in opposition to a transgender politician being selected to lead a women's rights body. The protest came after Erika Hilton, who made history as the first openly transgender woman elected to Brazil's National Congress, was appointed chair of the Commission for the Defence of Women's Rights. During her address from the lectern, Mrs Bolsonaro applied the makeup while repeatedly asking fellow legislators whether she had "become black". TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say The 32-year-old lawmaker framed her actions as a "social experiment," drawing a parallel between racial identity and gender identity. "As a white person, having lived through everything I've experienced as a white person, now, at 32, I've decided to put on makeup, to dress up as a black person," she declared during the session. She argued that just as applying cosmetics could not transform her into a Black person, transgender women cannot truly represent female experiences. Mrs Bolsonaro contended that trans women do not undergo childbirth, breastfeeding or endometriosis, experiences she considers fundamental to womanhood. "I'm painted black on the outside. Come on, I identify as black. So why can't I, then, chair the commission on racism?" she asked rhetorically, before answering: "Because I'm not black." The speech drew immediate condemnation from within the chamber itself. Monica Seixas, a lawmaker from the Socialism and Liberty Party, interrupted proceedings to accuse her colleague of transphobia, racism and blackface, demanding the session be suspended. Session chair Fabio Faria de Sa allowed Mrs Bolsonaro to conclude her remarks, stating the matter would be referred to assembly leadership. LATEST DEVELOPMENTS UK slams Iran's 'reckless attacks' on Diego Garcia as Tehran issues 'British lives in danger' threat Keir Starmer 'to hold crisis talks with Bank of England over energy bill bailout' amid Iran crisis 'UK is under attack – Keir Starmer needs to borrow a spine and stand up for it,' warns Nile Gardiner Mr Seixas subsequently lodged a police report alleging racial discrimination, while a petition bearing the signatures of 18 legislators was submitted to the Ethics Council calling for Bolsonaro's removal from office. Additional PSOL lawmakers filed criminal complaints with federal prosecutors and the Sao Paulo Public Prosecutor's Office. Deputy Ediane Maria, leading PSOL in the state government, branded the incident a "blatant crime" on social media. Mrs Bolsonaro, who shares no family connection to former president Jair Bolsonaro, adopted her surname in 2022 ahead of that year's elections as a declaration of support for the then-president, having previously been known as Fabiana Barroso. At the same time, she altered her official racial classification from white to mixed-race. Brazil introduced regulations in 2021 that effectively double the public funding allocated to political parties based on votes received by candidates identifying as black or female, a measure designed to encourage diversity until 2030. Research indicated that nine per cent of candidates standing in the 2022 elections had modified their declared ethnicity compared with 2020. Hilton has now referred the matter to electoral authorities, seeking an investigation into Bolsonaro's change of racial self-identification and whether it improperly influenced her access to campaign funds tied to racial quotas. Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter