Workshops of activities, dynamics and projects with trans people: social occupational therapy actions

Abstract

Introduction: The conditions of marginalization of trans experiences are a reflection of gender norms, which produce and regulate the rules of how one should be, live, and act. The theoretical-methodological assumptions of social occupational therapy contribute to this debate, in the production of knowledge and practices that strengthen, together with the trans community, strategies for social participation. Objective: To report and discuss the experience of conducting activity workshops with trans youth from the Federal District, Brazil, based on social occupational therapy. Method: In the first semester of 2023, three monthly workshops were held, each lasting an average of three hours, with nine participants in total: two non-binary people, two travestis, and five trans men. The systematization of the experience was adopted as the methodology to organize and analyze the data, based on the reconstruction of the process experienced in the activities and the individual and collective critical interpretation of the participants. Results: The workshops provided educational spaces aligned with the promotion of autonomy, participation, and citizenship, with debates on issues related to daily life, in order to articulate possibilities for change and resistance. Beyond being a group exposed to intense marginalization, these subjects are holders of diverse knowledge and from varied contexts, with a desire for social transformation to guarantee their lives. Conclusion: The workshops demonstrated the potential of social occupational therapy action with this group, especially in the educational dimension, aimed at education as the practice of freedom, dialogue, and awareness.