Notes

Under the International Interdisciplinary Congress “loves de(s)generated” homoeroticism in Peru and Latin America: knowledge, discourses and subject” were presented various papers around the homoeroticism in literature, society, culture and performing arts. It also addressed the subject in writers like Lacan and Eve Sedgwick, taking advantage to make an approach to their works and thoughts.

In a previous ( Olympic Bodies, Where are the limits of sex?) we have described the situation of Caster Semenya, South African runner woman whose status was questioned because of its great success in recent regional and international powers (2008 Commonwealth Youth Games, 2009 African Junior Championships and the World Athletics Championships in Berlin in 2009) imposing the best record of the year for the 800 meter dash.

I recently found myself in a dilemma that I never imagined to have as a human rights activist in GLBT movement: how to include trans people in a research paper? With the social name or the legal one? What was the rigorous academic and legally speaking?

Some weeks ago the association TRANSSA Dominican was delegitimized for not belonging to the trans community. Some voices of support defended the legitimate trans representation of this organization but the dissatisfaction and the discomfort were on the air.

Bethsabé Huamán Andía
The eighth week of sexual diversity took place at the National Museum of Anthropology and History, with a series of lectures, book presentations and cultural events from different disciplines and focusing the problems of sexual and gender diversity.

This short text is an approach of two recent publications of David Le Breton and Judith Butler, important examples of reflection on the body, sexuality and sexual difference. Despite the fact that there are extensive theoretical developments, we think it is appropriate to rescue the most important opinions on the subject of transsexuality.

George Sand
George was born a woman, back there in the Paris of 1804. Her real name was Amandine Aurore Lucile Dupin. Later on, she acquired the title of Dudevant Baroness when she married Baron Casimir Dudevant, with whom she had two children. The marriage lasted ten years, after which they got divorced. Since then, Amandine preferred masculine clothes, which allowed her to walk more freely around the city and gave her access to places where no woman would enter.

Transforming their body is one of the steps taken by every trans person (transexual , transgender, transvestite) by wearing certain clothes and accessories, or by directly altering their contexture, organs and aspect. In most countries, this process isn't included in public health services, and so it has to be payed for. Although there are clinics and specialized centres for the aesthetic transformation of the body —which is also an identity building process in the trans community—, there is also a great percentage of cases in which it is practiced by unqualified people at a very low cost and with very serious consequences, including death. However, this alternative is the only option for those who can't afford a specialist, in a context in which their job opportunities have been limited due to an identity that the society, starting with their own family, doesn't understand.

A group of seven people with the financial support of the Portuguese AIDS Association Abraço in collaboration with the CNLCS – National Commission of Fight Against AIDS, had made a very interesting research about trans community in Portugal, a reality that was unknown for the rest of the world and also for the own country.