Ana Ester Pádua Freire is a Brazilian theologian, author, and scholar of religion whose research focuses on queer theology, decolonial epistemologies, feminist theology, and Latin American liberation theology. She holds a Ph.D. in Religious Studies and is currently conducting postdoctoral research on decolonial epistemological perspectives on God through the work of the Argentine theologian Marcella Althaus-Reid. Her scholarship explores the intersections of Christianity, gender, sexuality, and social justice, with particular attention to the theological experiences of LGBTQIA+ communities in Latin America.

Freire has developed an extensive body of scholarship on Marcella Althaus-Reid, contributing to the reception of the Argentine theologian’s work in Brazil through academic research, teaching, publications, and translation. Her work brings queer and decolonial theological perspectives into dialogue with liberation theology, expanding contemporary conversations on Christianity, embodiment, and social justice in Latin America.

She is the author of the books Dezmandamentos (2023) and Divinas Tetas (2025), which bring queer theological reflection into conversation with contemporary Brazilian Christianity, as well as numerous scholarly articles and book chapters on queer theology, ecumenism, religion, gender, and sexual diversity. In addition to her academic work, she is a frequent lecturer, collaborating with universities, churches, and ecumenical organizations on theology, human rights, and inclusion.

At the Overseas Ministries Study Center, her research investigates how queer and decolonial theological approaches emerging from Latin America reimagine Christian understandings of God, embodiment, and community, contributing to broader conversations on the future of Christianity in contexts marked by coloniality, gender inequality, and sexual diversity.