{"id":8496,"date":"2017-10-08T08:39:30","date_gmt":"2017-10-08T02:54:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pahichan.com\/?p=8496"},"modified":"2017-10-08T08:39:30","modified_gmt":"2017-10-08T02:54:30","slug":"transgender-brazilians-embrace-hit-soap-opera-now-you-can-see-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pahichan.com\/en\/transgender-brazilians-embrace-hit-soap-opera-now-you-can-see-us\/","title":{"rendered":"Transgender Brazilians Embrace Hit Soap Opera: \u2018Now You Can See Us.\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Residents of a shelter for transgender and gender-nonconforming Brazilians in Rio de Janeiro watching \u201cEdge of Desire,\u201d a soap opera chronicling the transition of a transgender man, played by the actress Carol Duarte.<\/span>\u00a0Credit<\/span>Dado Galdieri for The New York Times<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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Kathmandu (Pahichan) October 8 – \u201cEdge of Desire,\u201d a popular prime-time soap opera chronicling the transition of a transgender man, was about to start, and the residents at a shelter seemed oblivious to the sirens wailing outside and the cockroaches navigating a maze of dirty feet and popcorn bowls on the floor.<\/p>\n

Gathering nightly to watch the television show in a graffiti-covered living room has become a ritual for the residents at Casa Nem, a refuge in downtown Rio de Janeiro for transgender and gender-nonconforming Brazilians, who view the story of Ivana\u2019s transition to Ivan as the first dignified and nuanced portrayal of people like them in the country\u2019s mainstream media.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook, she\u2019s got a cute little beard now!\u201d said Letthycia Siqueira, one of the residents, referring to the Ivan character. \u201cYou think they\u2019ll give her a full mustache?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

The hit show, which draws about 50 million viewers per night, has also struck a broader chord in Brazil, at a time when gay and transgender issues have become more prominent in the country.<\/p>\n

Currently pending before the Brazilian Supreme Court are two closely watched cases viewed by activists as fundamental to transgender rights, one involving a shopping mall\u2019s refusal to offer a transgender woman access to a restroom, and another concerning the requirement of surgery as a necessary condition for the recognition of a person\u2019s identity as transgender.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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There have been some notable victories for gay and transgender people in Brazilian courts, including the legalization of same-sex marriage in 2013 and the recognition of the right to change a person\u2019s name and gender marker on some government-issued identification documents. Recent changes in health care policy also have made it easier for transgender people to get transition-related medical care, such as hormone replacement therapy.<\/p>\n

But activists view this progress as tenuous and reversible at a time when conservative politicians and evangelical churches that oppose gay and transgender rights are becoming increasingly influential.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis issue needs to get out of the courts and into legislation in order to clarify and assure trans rights in a uniform way,\u201d said Ligia Fabris Campos, a law professor at the Get\u00falio Vargas Foundation in Rio de Janeiro.<\/p>\n

In the view of activists, however, the prospect of advancing gay and transgender rights in Congress in the foreseeable future is dim.<\/p>\n

One of the leading contenders in next year\u2019s presidential election, Jair Bolsonaro, a lawmaker who frequently disparages gay people and says that allowing transgender women to use women\u2019s restrooms represents \u201can inversion of values.\u201d A federal judge recently ruled that so-called conversion therapy to treat homosexuality should be permissible.<\/p>\n

While Brazil developed a reputation for inclusive social policies during the 13 years it was led by the leftist Workers\u2019 Party, whose tenure ended last year, the country remains in many ways a deeply conservative nation, where activists say gay and transgender people face widespread stigmatization and violence.<\/p>\n

\"\"Residents of the Casa Nem shelter \u2014 clockwise, from top left: Leon Albuquerque, Clarice Telles, Persefone Gray and Cristiane Vasconcelos.<\/span>\u00a0Credit<\/span>Dado Galdieri for The New York Times<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Last year, at least 144 transgender people were killed in the country, according to Brazil\u2019s National Association of Transvestites and Transsexuals, a nonprofit organization. This year, the group has identified 138 killings, including the case of Dandara dos Santos, a 42-year-old transgender woman in northern Brazil whose\u00a0fatal, public beating in February<\/a>\u00a0by eight men and teenagers shocked the nation after a video of the attack was posted online.<\/p>\n

Globo, Brazil\u2019s dominant television network, has previously used its widely popular soap operas to shape social debates around contentious issues, including interracial couples and same-sex relationships. But the network had never before broadcast a soap opera starring a transgender character. Several of the show\u2019s supporting characters are transgender in real life.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe soap opera is a reflection of Brazilian society at any given moment,\u201d said Gl\u00f3ria Perez, the writer and creator of \u201cEdge of Desire,\u201d adding that she wanted to create a transgender character for whom viewers would feel empathy and whose story would start a conversation among viewers. \u201cI thought it was time for us to talk about it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

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Cast and crew on the set of the soap opera \u201cEdge of Desire,\u201d which is shaping perceptions about gender identity in a nation where transgender people face strong stigmatization.<\/span>Credit<\/span>Dado Galdieri for The New York Times<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Carol Duarte, the actress playing Ivan, said the role had felt like a daunting responsibility.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut the reaction has been so warm and supportive,\u201d Ms. Duarte said. \u201cPeople are cheering for Ivan to find his own happiness.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ivan\u2019s story, which airs after the country\u2019s most watched news broadcast, may be the most prominent positive portrayal of transgender issues in pop culture. But there are others. The singer Pabllo Vittar has become a beloved icon among many Brazilians and an emblem of gender fluidity.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t care if you call me he or she,\u201d said the singer, who expressed a preference for the gender-neutral Mx. in place of Mr. or Ms. \u201cI\u2019m just a 22-year-old gay boy from Maranh\u00e3o State,\u201d Mx. Vittar said while untangling an earring from a long platinum wig in the dressing room before a show in Rio de Janeiro.<\/p>\n

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The singer Pabllo Vittar, a beloved icon among many Brazilians and an emblem of gender fluidity, before a performance in Goiania, Brazil.<\/span>\u00a0Credit<\/span>Dado Galdieri for The New York Times<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The singer\u2019s hits, sung in a nasally soprano, have become unofficial anthems for Brazil\u2019s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. A duet Mx. Vittar recorded recently with Anitta, one of the country\u2019s biggest pop stars, broke a Brazilian record for YouTube views, and three of the singer\u2019s songs were recently among the\u00a0top five most played songs on Spotify<\/a>\u00a0in Brazil.<\/p>\n

In one of the soap opera\u2019s most recent episodes, Mx. Vittar appeared in a supporting role, performing at a concert while Ivan swayed in the front row.<\/p>\n

Mx. Vittar\u2019s Instagram followers tripled, to 4.6 million, after a recent appearance at the music festival Rock in Rio.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe most followed drag queen in the world is Brazilian,\u201d Mx. Vittar noted with satisfaction. \u201cAnd yet still we have these problems here.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Pabllo Vittar on stage during a show in Goiania, Brazil.<\/span>\u00a0Credit<\/span>Dado Galdieri for The New York Times<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The television show dramatizes some of those struggles faced by transgender people. In one scene, Ivan cuts off his long hair, a highly valued sign of femininity in Brazilian culture, and much of the soap opera revolves around Ivan\u2019s strained relationship with his mother, who struggles to let go of the image of her darling little girl with bouncy curls.<\/p>\n

Outside of his increasingly uncomfortable home, Ivan also confronts the challenges of a life in transition: Potential employers twist their faces at him, and belligerent strangers taunt and even attack him.<\/p>\n

Problems like those are part of the everyday grim reality at Casa Nem. Most of the 30 or so residents were homeless before moving in. Like an estimated 80 percent of transgender Brazilians, nearly all of the residents earn money through prostitution and return at night to double up in triple-stacked bunk beds.<\/p>\n

Ms. Siqueira, 22, was kicked out of her home when she was 7 for dressing in women\u2019s clothes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve lived through everything the soap opera is showing,\u201d she said while watching an episode. Although the show\u2019s middle-class protagonist Ivan has not had to contend with homelessness or fall back on prostitution to survive, like she has, Ms. Siqueira sees similarities.<\/p>\n

\u201cTrans people go through struggles and confront prejudice no matter what color or class or age we are,\u201d she said. \u201cWe have all been rejected at different moments.\u201d<\/p>\n

The show, she said, has given her hope.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve always been invisible,\u201d she said, her eyes glued to the television screen. \u201cAt least now people have the chance to open their hearts. At least now you can see us.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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An estimated 80 percent of transgender Brazilians earn money through sex work.<\/span>\u00a0Credit<\/span>Dado Galdieri for The New York Times<\/span><\/figcaption>
Copy :\u00a0https:\/\/www.nytimes.com<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Residents of a shelter for transgender and gender-nonconforming Brazilians in Rio de Janeiro watching \u201cEdge of Desire,\u201d a soap opera chronicling the transition of a transgender man, played by the actress Carol Duarte.\u00a0CreditDado Galdieri for The New York Times<\/p>\n

Kathmandu (Pahichan) October 8 – \u201cEdge of Desire,\u201d a popular prime-time soap opera chronicling the transition of a transgender man, was about to start, and the residents at a shelter seemed oblivious to the sirens wailing outside and the cockroaches navigating a maze of dirty feet and popcorn bowls on the floor.
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