Abstract

CORDEIRO, Janivaldo Pacheco. “ACCEPTING MYSELF AS A HOMOSEXUAL WAS THE MOST DIFFICULT CROSSING OF MY LIFE”: the identity constitution of the LGBT+ body-territory. Revista Teias [online]. 2024, vol.25, n.76, pp.16-27.  Epub Mar 07, 2024. ISSN 1982-0305.  https://doi.org/10.12957/teias.2024.79167.

Being a subject of difference is to be flooded by questions that position oneself far from what is considered normal, giving rise to movements that hinder recognition and (self)acceptance. In this process, selfconstruction and deconstruction occur with range of emotions, from denial to acceptance, accompanied by anguish and suffering. This text is the result of a doctoral research project conducted between 2019 and 2022, which aimed, amongst other objectives, to discuss the processes of identity formation among seven queer teachers working in elementary education in the state of Bahia, Brazil. Anchored in the ideas of the body-territory by Eduardo Miranda and the concept of "transviad@s" by Berenice Bento, it weaves the subjectivities and (re)existences of seven self-identified LGBTQIA+ educators who share their lifeeducation-profession stories, shaped by an order that molds bodies and behaviors, under which pressures and oppressions have repositioned their individualities. The stories were narrated through narrative interviews and the creation of self-portraits, which were analyzed from the perspective of Paul Ricoeur's theory of interpretation. The results point to the vulnerabilities of their identities, where cis-heteronormative intersections have caused fears, withdrawals, and self-denial, as well as adaptation to the system, the production of normalized performativities, and a life-education-profession marked by caution, normalized prejudices, and naturalized discrimination.

Keywords : identities and difference; LGBTQIA+ educators; performativities.

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