Male homosexuality and spirit possession in Brazil.
Journal of Homosexuality 1985 DOI: 10.1300/j082v11n03_09 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Citations | 71 |
| Key points | Argues that the Afro-Brazilian possession cults in Belém offer social rewards to individuals classified as bichas, and that homosexuality and these religious groups share a structural marginality relative to mainstream society. |
Abstract
This paper examines the relationship between male homosexuality and the Afro-Brazilian possession cults in Belém do Parà. After a discussion of the literature follows a description of the cults' beliefs, rites and social organization. Male sex roles are then discussed and the two categories, bicha and man, analyzed. It is noted that there is no term which is equivalent to the western category of "homosexual" in this taxonomic system. After putting forward folk explanations for the presence of many bichas in the cults, an analysis is put forward of the social rewards available to bichas within these cults, and the structural relationship between homosexuality and these regions in terms of their congruent marginality vis-à-vis "normal society."