Weaving autonomy and challenging norms: the contribution of singular and territorial accompaniments with gender and sexuality dissidents

Abstract

This study presents the experiences of an extension project that operates in conjunction with the referral unit and specialized care for the LGBTQIAPNb+ population in Paraíba. This population experiences daily struggle and resistance in the construction of their identities, challenging gender and sexuality norms to ensure their survival. The objective of this work was to report an experience of university extension in a capital city in the Northeast, using one of the technologies of social occupational therapy, singular and territorial monitoring. This social technology was used to understand the reality of the gender and sexuality dissident population, in the search for joint solutions and strategies to face different forms of violence, promote access to social rights for this population and the construction of autonomy in their life projects. The choice of this technology considers the constitution of the social field as a possibility of action for occupational therapists, highlighting the relevance of social markers of difference as classification categories that organize social life. The monitoring took place over a year with two people. It was possible to explore ways to decentralize normative conceptions in relation to subjects and everyday life, developing joint strategies that contribute to the construction of autonomy, corroborating social participation and the exercise of citizenship.