Heterotopias of (un)desirable bodies: homoeroticism, old age and other dissidences

Abstract

This paper problematizes some possible stylizations of bodies that are socially perceived as "old" and that are engaged in (homo)erotic activities. We present some "scenes" that were mapped during participant observations conducted in a territory of sociability attended mainly by older gay men. Ways in which the materiality of the bodies in these encounters may acquire other "contours" and new "porosities" are discussed. This rematerialization enables some individuals to resist some models that normalize subjectivities and and bodies. At least at the moment of the parties in this territory (in that queer time and space), the old gay man is no longer a "bicha velha démodé", but rather a subject of desire and a desiring subject. Our cartography tends to denounce the fragility and the fictional aspects of homo/hetero/agenormativities.Key-words: old age, body, gender, (homo)sexuality, (homo)eroticism ResumoEste artigo problematiza algumas estilizações possíveis de corpos ditos "velhos" e em experimentações (homo)eróticas. São apresentadas algumas cenas cartografadas a partir de observações participantes realizadas em um território de sociabilidade frequentado principalmente por homens mais velhos.Discutimos alguns modos pelos quais a materialidade dos corpos nesses encontros passa a ganhar outros contornos, de modo que algumas vidas, a partir do incômodo de um fantasma de abjeção, possam resistir a certos modelos que normatizam subjetividades e corpos. Pelo menos nos instantes das festas que ocorrem em tal território (naquele tempo e espaço queer), o gay velho não é mais a "bicha velha démodé", torna-se um sujeito do desejo e desejante. As cartografias insinuam uma denúncia sobre a fragilidade e o caráter ficcional das homo/hetero/idade-normas.Palavras-chave: velhice, corpo, gênero, (homo)sexualidade, (homo)erotismo 115

THE INFLUENCE OF DOMINANT CULTURAL IDEALS ON THE MENTAL AND SEXUAL HEALTH OF HOMOSEXUAL MEN: An exploratory study of the “Bear” phenomenon

“…It refers to the perception of self and peers, as, for example, when a gay man does not present a body aligned with the cultural ideal of body presentation -i.e., he is overweight or obese-, his chances of suffering oppression through heteronormative harassment, developing more symptoms of anxiety and depression, and having sexual relations without condoms increase, which conforms with findings obtained in Moskowitzet al (2013) and Quidley-Rodriguez & de Santis (2016). However, it seems that these men do not seek to fit the hegemonic sexual ideal, since the tendency to seek sexual partners close to the stereotype is lower, which was also verified by Gough & Flanders (2009), Cerqueira & Souza (2015) and Santos & Lago (2016). Possibly, on the one hand, as they no longer follow the pressures imposed by the dominant sexual hegemony, they do not feel the need to perpetuate the same narrative.…”

“…Considering the cultural context in which these men live, where the dominant sexual ideology narrative predominates, that is, where there is a clear heteronormative valorization, it is possible to understand that hiding one's sexual orientation is a safer way to form such bonds and navigate interpersonal relationships, even if the price is to suppress elements of one's own identity. Many studies corroborate that, in the South American context, such a strategy is preferred (Benavides-Merino, 2016) (Santos & Lago, 2016) (Domingos, 2015) (Sáez, 2005). However, such a phenomenon also seems to be verified in Asia (Lin, 2014) (Taş, 2017), North America and Europe (Eldahan et al, 2016) (Meyer, 2003)…”

“…This would explain the opposite relationship between these variables. It is not surprising to verify that there is a direct association of such an assimilative effect of heteronormativity to the internalization of negative attributions about homosexual sexual orientation and effeminacy among these participants, being stronger among older individuals, more precisely among those over (Taywaditep, 2001b) (Lin, 2014) (Szymanski, & Ikizler, 2013) (Santos & Lago, 2016).…”

“…It may also be a compensatory mechanism in the face of stereotypes associated with ageing but, above all, relates to an emphasis on hypermasculinity, as an attempt to protect against exclusionary social measures (Wright, 1997). As seen in different studies about this theme, in different parts of the world, most of the gay men who identify themselves as Bears and participated in these studies, indicated that this identity favoured a distancing from the stereotypes of feminization and, by contrast, approaching the stereotype of the heterosexual man (Sáez, 2005) (Hennen, 2005) (Manley, Levitt & Mosher, 2007) (Taş, 2017) (Gough & Flanders, 2009) (França, 2013) (Lyons & Hosking;2014) (Lin, 2014) (Cerqueira & Souza) (Domingos, 2015) (Santos & Lago, 2016) (Benavides-Meriño, 2016) (McGrady, 2016 (Rios, 2018).…”