Anderson Bigode Herzer (10 June 1962 in

Rolândia Rolândia is a municipality in the state of Paraná in the Southern Region of Brazil. Rolândia was settled by German immigrants who named it after (and erected a statue to) the medieval hero Roland, a symbol of freedom in Germany. See also *Li ...

, Paraná,

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

– 10 August 1982, in

São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for ' Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the Ga ...

) was a

writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles and techniques to communicate ideas. Writers produce different forms of literary art and creative writing such as novels, short stories, books, poetry, travelogues, p ...

and

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems ( oral or wri ...

. He died by suicide at the age of 20. The film '' Vera'' by

Sérgio Toledo Sérgio Toledo Segall or simply Sérgio Toledo (born in São Paulo, Brazil in 1956) is the son of actress Beatriz Segall and an award-winning Brazilian screenwriter and director most known for his film Vera, that won the Silver Bear for Best Act ...

is based on Herzer's life.

Life and times

Herzer was a transsexual man, ex-intern of FEBEM or ''Fundação Estadual para o Bem Estar do Menor'' (a State institution for the protection of minors) whose life and verses were published in a book titled ''A queda para o alto'', translated as 'descending upwards' in

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

as This book; in turn, served as the basis for the Brazilian film production '' Vera'', directed by Sérgio Toledo Segall (better known as Sérgio Toledo). He was four years old when his father was killed, and his mother, a prostitute at that time, felt unable to take care of him, therefore turning young Herzer in to FEBEM. Sometime soon after that, his mother died. Although Herzer considered himself to be a lesbian for some time in his life, he then identified as transsexual. His school records show that he was a problem student, often engaging in fights, using street drugs and consuming alcohol. Herzer was institutionalized in FEBEM when he was fourteen years old. At that time he adopted the name ''Anderson Bigode Herzer'' (''Anderson'' being a common male first name in Brazil; although ''bigode'' is an unusual nickname, meaning ''mustache''). He remained under the State's tutelage until seventeen years of age. At that time

Eduardo Suplicy Eduardo Matarazzo Suplicy (born 21 June 1941) is a Brazilian left-wing politician, economist and professor. He is one of the founders and main political figures on the Workers Party of Brazil (PT). In the municipal elections of São Paulo in ...

, a renowned

member of parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members o ...

(''deputado'' in

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), touched by his poems and difficult life, acted as his protégé and hired him as an intern in his office.

Death

In spite of the support received, Herzer felt profoundly traumatized and decided to die by suicide by jumping off the ''Viaduto 23 de Maio'', a viaduct located in the downtown area of São Paulo.Jornal do Brasil: A queda para o alto. www.senado.gov.br – 2006 (in Portuguese)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Herzer, Anderson 1962 births 1982 suicides 1982 deaths 20th-century Brazilian poets Brazilian male poets Transgender male writers Transgender poets Brazilian transgender people Brazilian LGBT poets Brazilian people of German descent People from Rolândia Suicides by jumping in Brazil 20th-century Brazilian male writers LGBT-related suicides 20th-century Brazilian LGBT people