(Gays, Lesbians, Transgenders: The Rainbow Path in North American Culture)
Author: Eliane Bores Berutti
ISBN: 9788575111901
The exploration of transgressive sexuality in the United States is the central thread that weaves together the essays in this book. Starting with an analysis of contemporary gay and lesbian short stories, in which she maps recurring themes in North American literature, Eliane Berutti gives voice to resistance, oppression, and contextualizes the fight against AIDS. She addresses key issues in queer studies, not only focusing on significant aspects of queer theory but also reflecting on what a queer studies agenda might look like in Brazil. Would such an agenda be limited to gays and lesbians, or would it include other sexual minorities? Furthermore, would it aim to help shape a new social mindset for the 21st century?
Gays, Lesbians, Transgenders: The Rainbow Path in North American Culture also highlights the author’s postdoctoral research conducted at New York University (NYU). Her encounter with political activist Sylvia Rivera marked a turning point in her academic path. Transgenders—individuals who question the binary sex and gender system (man/woman = masculine/feminine)—became the focus of her fieldwork, which included drag queens, drag kings, androgynes, travestis, butches, and other gender outlaws.