A gay autoethnography: Gender, sexuality, and organizations

Abstract

Would the effeminate boy be an outsider or a fruit that grew far from the tree? Understanding the trajectory of a male child with effeminate traits can unveil practices of various institutions regarding boys and men with these characteristics, bringing to light organizational practices that are not limited to homophobia but also to “effeminophobia.” This autoethnography is an exercise in reclaiming one's own history, marked by violent exclusions, domination, and subjugation, with the aim of explaining how heterosexual normativity impacts the bodies and subjectivities of effeminate individuals. This account begins in the 1990s in the city of Barra do Piraí, a locality located in the interior of Rio de Janeiro, which was governed by male domination and influenced by a colonial culture. In this context, it is important to note that I do not consider it possible to define a period for analysis in terms of years, but rather within a biological time frame, encompassing the stages of life. Therefore, this delimitation begins in childhood and extends into adulthood. This autoethnography is dedicated to discussing effeminophobia directed toward children and adults in various institutions, especially in the workplace. To do so, it utilizes the social and professional trajectory of a young gay man who managed to become an adult.