As (im)possibilidades do desenvolvimento: enquadres da intersexualidade no Brasil contemporâneo.

Abstract

This thesis discusses different frames of intersexuality through the examination of biomedical and media representations and of intersexual activism in Brazil. Currently, intersexuality has been denominated by medicine as a sex development disorder, referring to an extensive set of variations in which chromosomes, hormonal levels, internal and external sexual organs would be in disagreement with the binary sex/gender regime. The hypothesis of this thesis is that, beyond the terminology definition, intersexuality and development (social, economic, cultural and moral) intertwine and serve as a means to reciprocal expression in different levels and narratives. The research scrutinized published material on intersexuality in Brazilian media between the years 2000-2017; performed observations on an international medical event and interviewed four doctors from specialized services in the city of Fortaleza, Ceará State, Brazil; and interviewed six Brazilian intersex activists. The analysis covered the multiple senses of development (biological, sexual, social, economic, political, and moral) intersected with social markers of difference, through which intersexuality frames are produced. As a result, it draws a scenery of a differential distribution of visibilities, suffering, and narratives in the context of regulation of bodies and identities that do not conform to the binary sexual and gender regime.