Charlie Kirk Commendation: understand project in honor of US conservative influencer who causes controversy in Goiânia

A project by councilor Igor Franco (Podemos) in honor of the conservative influencer from the United States Charlie Kirk, murdered in 2025, has generated controversy in the Goiânia City Council. The proposal, entitled Charlie Kirk Commendation, pays homage to conservative personalities, institutions and leaders.

The project was approved in a first symbolic vote on October 29th. In this type of vote, only opposing manifestations are counted, those of Aava Santiago (PSB) and Fabrício Rosa (PT), according to the Chamber of Goiânia.

If it comes into force, the Commendation will be granted annually during a solemn session held in November or on a similar date. Tributes will need to be requested by one or more councilors, and approved in an open vote.

Once approved, up to 50 people may be honored at the ceremony. The proposal describes that those honored will be those who stood out in "defending conservative, Christian values ​​and individual freedom, contributing to the strengthening of democracy, citizenship and ethical principles."

The project describes that, if approved, a medal will be awarded during the tributes, containing the coat of arms of the Goiânia City Council on one side, and the phrase "Commendation of Honor to Merit Charlie Kirk - Conservative Values ​​and Freedom" on the other.

The project remained in progress until the last update of this report. Councilor Fabrício even created a petition against the proposal, which already has more than 25 thousand signatures.

Controversy

To g1, Fabrício Rosa recalled controversial speeches by the American activist, who he called a "Trumpist", in reference to the country's current president. He stated that the activist's positions are reflected in the tributes that would be given by the Chamber.

"Charlie Kirk was a Trumpist activist who called the approval of the American law that banned racial discrimination in public spaces a “big mistake”. He then called this legislation a 'weapon against white people' [...]. A Chamber medal carries the name of an entire city, including the people who suffer racism every day," he said.

Fabrício also presented a project related to tributes for a vote in the Chamber that proposed the creation of a Special Session in Honor of the Anti-Fascist Fans of the capital's football teams, but the proposal was rejected by 14 votes against and 5 in favor on Tuesday (3).

Councilor Aava Santiago stated that she respects the divergence of thought in the Chamber and is not opposed to monsoons of applause and handing out titles to conservatives, but said that Charlie Kirk was a "supremacist" and criticized the activist's controversial positions.

"I voted against the creation of the Charlie Kirk Commendation, and I believe that the Chamber needs to review the decision to create it, because when creating a commendation it is no longer the author councilor who is having this idea as a legislator with free power of thought, but it is the Legislative Branch that is telling society that supremacist ideas should not be confronted, but transformed into honors", explained Aava.

In defense of the proposal, Igor Franco stated that, although the tribute bears the activist's name, this does not mean that there is total agreement with all of the influencer's statements and positions. He also mentioned the criticism received regarding the project and highlighted that he will not accept what he called "personal attacks, intimidation or attempts to disqualify anyone who thinks differently."

"Regarding councilor Fabrício Rosa, I understand that he has every right to position himself against the commendation. What he cannot do is want to establish which values ​​and which personalities can or cannot be honored by the Legislature. The Chamber needs to be a space of plurality, and this plurality also needs to include Christians and conservatives", he wrote.

Charlie Kirk

Charlie Kirk, right-wing activist and Trump ally, is killed with a gunshot to the neck while speaking at a university in the USA – Photo: Reproduction/TV Globo

Charlie Kirk became known on the American right, especially among young conservatives through the "prove me wrong" format. In this format, he placed a poster with the phrase next to him and invited people, especially with opposing views, to debate in public.

Among the most controversial ideas defended by the activist were: abolition of aggressive initiatives to combat climate change, the existence of only two genders and encouragement of complaints from teachers who, in theory, practiced the so-called “gender ideology” during classes.

On September 11, 2025, during an event at Utah Valley University, Kirk was shot and died at age 31.