A reversão de gênero gramatical em comunidades de prática gay de Belo Horizonte

Abstract

This study aims to observe the speech of gay individuals from a dance group and a theater group in the city of Belo Horizonte, MG, and analyze the use of grammatical gender. These individuals form groups understood as communities of practice, a theoretical concept adopted from sociolinguistics. Furthermore, we adopt the theoretical perspective of Queer Linguistics, an interdisciplinary approach that seeks to analyze the intersections between language, identity, and gender. The research explores language features related to sexual orientation, culminating in the analysis of the occurrence and patterns of grammatical gender inversion in gay communities of practice in Belo Horizonte. Mader and Moura (2022), in their research on grammatical gender inversion in Brazilian Portuguese and its implications for the construction of community identity, define gender inversion as a linguistic pattern that occurs when pronominal items or grammatical gender markers have their reference inverted. This can be observed, for example, when pronouns and gender markers typically used to refer to men are applied to women, and/or when pronouns or gender markers typically used to refer to women are applied to men. The development of this research contributes not only to theoretical and methodological advancements but also provides evidence and tools for a more in-depth debate on the constitution of communities of practice from a participatory perspective of the researcher. Thus, we hope to broaden the discussion on the relationship between language and identities, enabling a better understanding of the relationship between language and society. The methodology for this study involves the following stages: initial contact with research participants; data collection through interviews with audio recordings; transcription of the interviews; selection and classification of grammatical gender data; selection of other linguistic phenomena related to identity issues; qualitative analysis. By relating the data to the adopted theories, we aim to hypothesize about identity construction within the studied communities of practice. According to Mader and Moura (2022), grammatical gender inversion is always laden with values. In this sense, Aikhenvald (2006), Corbett (1991), and Tobin (2001) suggest three functions that aim to create a particular social representation of the person for whom grammatical gender is altered. These functions may refer to either the speaker themselves or their interlocutor: 1. Depreciative function (in cases where feminine terms are applied to men or masculine terms are applied to women); 2. Approximative function, aiming to create camaraderie and intimacy between interlocutors (in cases where feminine terms are applied among men or masculine terms among women); 3. Appreciative function, aiming to enhance the social status of the designated person. Based on these three functions, we suggest that the adoption of certain linguistic patterns may be associated with the pursuit of one of two of these functions: the depreciative or approximative function. Additionally, we will investigate other possible functions of the linguistic patterns reproduced by the speakers in the studied community of practice. It is important to clarify that gender inversion can occur among any speakers.