Gay Brazilian Father Fired After Requesting Parental Leave Gets International Attention

A Brazilian gay father’s fight against workplace discrimination is making history in Argentina, with a groundbreaking case now before the Superior Court of Justice of the City of Buenos Aires.

Leonardo Hatanaka, who worked for Genzyme Argentina SA, a subsidiary of the Sanofi Group, was fired just 12 days after informing their employer in April 2023 that they would be a father via surrogate. Their son, Matteo, was born in Buenos Aires on May 5, 2023. Later that same month, on May 31, Hatanaka was fired again — this time after formally requesting 180 days of parental leave, a benefit supposedly available under the company’s diversity and inclusion policy.

According to Hatanaka, the dismissal directly contradicted the company’s public commitments to inclusive policies and equal rights for LGBTQIA+ families. 

“I am speaking with my heart to my son — to be visible for him in the future, that we fought for him existing,” says Hatanaka

The case has since been recognized as a clear instance of workplace discrimination by two separate Argentine state agencies. In November 2023, the National Institute Against Discrimination, Xenophobia and Racism (INADI) ruled that the dismissal was based on sexual orientation and gender identity. A second ruling in 2024 by the General Directorate of Coexistence in Diversity under the Buenos Aires city government confirmed the act as institutional discrimination.

Despite these rulings, Sanofi Group has not acknowledged responsibility or offered compensation for the family. Legal efforts to have Hatanaka reinstated initially succeeded through a lower court injunction, but this was overturned by the National Labor Appeals Chamber. Their legal team has since appealed to the Superior Court of Justice of the City of Buenos Aires, which accepted the case on May 14, 2025, signaling that it will proceed to a substantive review.

This marks the first time a discriminatory dismissal involving an LGBTQIA+ parent has reached the city’s highest judicial body.

The case has drawn widespread attention and support from civil society groups including FALGBT+ (Argentina’s Federation of LGBTQIA+ Associations), SOS Homophobie (France), and Mães da Resistência (Brazil). It has also been officially cited in the latest United Nations report on discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Hatanaka added, “Put it simply, pride is no longer just about visibility; it’s about never having to hide again out of fear of existing.

As Pride Month continues, Hatanaka’s message to their son is gaining global resonance: that every child deserves parents who are protected, recognised, and treated equally — regardless of who they are.