Igualdade de gênero e diversidade: por uma conversa transfeminista

Abstract

This study aims to investigate, among female students from various courses at the Federal University of Mato Grosso, specifically at the University Campus of Araguaia, the advancements in the rights of transgender women. The objective is to understand their perspectives, whether they are in favor or against the achievement of these rights, while seeking to answer the following research question: To what extent is the struggle of transgender women being embraced without the imposition of antagonisms between transgender rights and women's rights, in the conception of the students enrolled in UFMT, Campus University Araguaia? The research was conducted using a deductive approach, commencing with a theoretical discussion on transgender rights, followed by an examination of the positions held by UFMT/CUA students regarding these rights. This study takes on an exploratory nature, as it aimed to solely understand the opinions of the academic community on the topic under consideration, and it is both qualitative and quantitative, as it was based on numerical data and analysis of the collected information. In addition, a deeper understanding of the subject was sought not only through bibliographic research but also through questionnaires administered to UFMT/CUA students and an interview with a transgender student from the university. In the course of this work, the primary concepts related to gender identity and sexual orientation were initially presented, with a discussion on legal instruments for promoting equality across various social dimensions, as well as the dissemination of hate speech against these minorities through fake news and the legal norms in place to combat them. Moreover, the role of patriarchy in perpetuating gender stereotypes was examined. In the theoretical framework, texts by authors such as Bell Hooks and Ann Oakley were utilized to explore various facets of feminism, emphasizing that they all share the same goal: gender equality. The study also highlights the achievements of women and transgender individuals and the ideology of a group within Radical Feminism known as TransExclusive Radical Feminists (TERFs), who do not accept the rights achieved by transgender women due to their birth-assigned sex. The findings of this study indicate that the interviewees were not influenced by the ideas advocated by RADFEM. However, a contradiction is observed between the data obtained from the students and the experiences of the transgender student within the university.