André Filipe Oliveira
Top Concerns
LGBTQ+ rights
"Chega talks about us like we're a disease. What happens if they get power?"
Family acceptance
"My parents love me but can't accept who I am. That never stops hurting."
Emigration pressure
"Should I stay and fight or go somewhere I can just live?"
Interior decline
"Bragança is dying. My family will be alone there."
Economic future
"Psychology jobs aren't well paid. How do I build a life?"
Background
André knew he was different from childhood, though he didn't have words for it until his teens. Growing up gay in Bragança—a small, traditional city in Trás-os-Montes—meant hiding, performing, pretending. He told himself he'd leave as soon as he could.
Coming out to his parents at 18 was brutal. His father didn't speak to him for months. His mother cried and asked where she went wrong. Eventually, they reached a fragile peace—his sexuality is never discussed, partners are never brought home, everyone pretends. He loves them but can't be himself around them.
Porto was liberation. Gay friends, LGBTQ+ spaces, anonymity. He started dating openly, joined university groups, breathed. But holidays in Bragança mean going back into the closet, hearing relatives' jokes, seeing Chega posters that feel personally threatening.
He's studying psychology, partly to understand himself, partly to help others like him. The rise of Chega terrifies him—the rhetoric about "traditional families," the disdain for what he is. Emigration is on his mind, not for money but for safety. Countries where being gay isn't political.
Economic Situation
Income level
Low (€350/month part time + parents help €200)
Income source
Part-time service work + family support
Financial stress
Moderate (student, limited but managing)
Housing burden
55%
Trajectory
Uncertain—degree pending
In Their Own Voice
"Portugal made real progress—marriage equality, anti-discrimination laws, visibility. But Chega reminds us it can all be reversed. When Ventura talks about 'traditional families,' he means families without people like me. Every vote for Chega feels personal."
— On Portugal
"Don't use us as a wedge issue. Don't promise equality while courting our opponents. And don't tell us progress is inevitable—progress can be undone. Protect what we've won."
— To Politicians
Hopes
For themselves
himself
"I want to love openly without fear. To have a partner I can introduce to my family. To help others who are struggling like I did."
the interior
"I hope places like Bragança don't become Chega territory. That small towns can be home for everyone, not just the traditional majority."
Personal fears
"That rights we won get taken away. That I have to leave Portugal to be safe. That my parents never fully accept me."
What he'd say to someone who disagrees with him politically
"You might think LGBTQ+ rights are about ideology. For me, it's about whether I can hold my boyfriend's hand in my hometown. Whether I can introduce him to my grandmother. Whether I'm safe. This isn't abstract—it's my life."
His message to politicians
"Don't use us as a wedge issue. Don't promise equality while courting our opponents. And don't tell us progress is inevitable—progress can be undone. Protect what we've won."
For Portugal
Portugal
"I hope Portugal stays tolerant. That Chega remains marginal. That the next generation doesn't have to hide like I did."
Fears for Portugal
"A Chega government. Emboldened homophobes. Going backwards on everything we fought for."
How he'd describe Portugal today
"Portugal made real progress—marriage equality, anti-discrimination laws, visibility. But Chega reminds us it can all be reversed. When Ventura talks about 'traditional families,' he means families without people like me. Every vote for Chega feels personal."
Fears
For themselves
Personal fears
"That rights we won get taken away. That I have to leave Portugal to be safe. That my parents never fully accept me."
His message to politicians
"Don't use us as a wedge issue. Don't promise equality while courting our opponents. And don't tell us progress is inevitable—progress can be undone. Protect what we've won."
For Portugal
Fears for Portugal
"A Chega government. Emboldened homophobes. Going backwards on everything we fought for."
How he'd describe Portugal today
"Portugal made real progress—marriage equality, anti-discrimination laws, visibility. But Chega reminds us it can all be reversed. When Ventura talks about 'traditional families,' he means families without people like me. Every vote for Chega feels personal."
What he'd say to someone who disagrees with him politically
"You might think LGBTQ+ rights are about ideology. For me, it's about whether I can hold my boyfriend's hand in my hometown. Whether I can introduce him to my grandmother. Whether I'm safe. This isn't abstract—it's my life."
Candidate Reactions
How this person would react to each candidate winning
Bloco de Esquerda (left)
Catarina Martins
Key trigger: Clear ally; will vote enthusiastically
PS (center-left)
António José Seguro
Key trigger: Better on rights, but not priority
PCP (Communist Party)
António Filipe
Key trigger: PCP supports rights; older but principled
Independent ("My party is Portugal")
Henrique Gouveia e Melo
Key trigger: Unknown on social issues; military culture worries
Iniciativa Liberal
João Cotrim Figueiredo
Key trigger: Liberal on social issues, but economic focus
PSD/CDS backing (center-right)
Luís Marques Mendes
Key trigger: Traditional right; might compromise with Chega
Chega (far-right)
André Ventura
Key trigger: Existential threat; will mobilize against
Information Sources
Where they get their information
community
High TrustUniversity LGBTQ+ group, friends, online communities
online
Medium-HighPúblico, international LGBTQ+ news, Instagram
social media
High TrustInstagram, Twitter/X, TikTok
tv
Low TrustRarely—sometimes with parents
Voting History
Past electoral choices and patterns
Progressive left, rights-focused
BE
"Most consistently pro-LGBTQ+"
BE
"Clear on rights"
Ana Gomes
"Progressive, principled"