Chica Bananinha, the Bearded Dyke from out there in Paraíba: When Sapatão is “Revolution”

Abstract:

In this article, we take a look at the cordel “Chica Bananinha, a Sapatão barbuda de lá da Paraíba” (Chica Bananinha,the bearded dyke from out there in Paraíba) (1984) to understand how naming can refer to lesbianities. Regarding the theoretical basis, we use the notions of Swain (2004), Foucault (1988), and Plato (2001), among others, to problematize concepts of Lesbianity and the representation of the act of naming lesbians. Through the cordel, we can see how naming, identifying and categorizing, even via stereotyping, enables visibility for lesbianities and the existence of lesbians, in the face of the historic silencing and erasure of registers that attest to their presence. The cordel, in addition to representing this existence, allows us to question practices that were denied and suppressed in the 1980s.

Keywords:
Romp; Lesbianities; Cordel