Dealing with Discrimination
Outside of the big cities such as São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Salvador, openly gay men or women will certainly draw attention and perhaps be subjected to comments or jokes. Brazil is still a macho culture and any open sign of affection between people of the same sex will meet with disapproval.
African Americans shouldn't encounter much in the way of discrimination. However, mixed couples (particularly where the woman is black and the man is not) may encounter discrimination in hotels or bars because people may assume that the woman is a Brazilian prostitute who has hooked up with a gringo guy. Particularly in Rio and the Northeast such "temporary couples" are a common sight, and people will make assumptions based on appearances.
Vegetarian travel
At first glance, Brazil is not a very vegetarian-friendly country. Indeed, the all-you-can-eat grilled churrasco meat orgy that Brazilians love so much is likely a vegetarian's worst nightmare. Don't expect much sympathy from Brazilians either. They will not understand why anybody would even want to be a vegetarian. That said, Brazil is also a country with a lot of fruit and vegetables and many of the restaurants that serve meat will also have fabulous salads, vegetable dishes, and pastas. If you eat fish and seafood you will be able to eat almost anywhere. If you don't eat meat but are okay with eating in restaurants that serve meat, you'll be fine.
