Abstract

ROCHA, Izabela Assis; SOUZA, Tatiana Machiavelli do Carmo  and  FRANCO, Mariana Neves. Investigating the violence experienced by university lesbian women. Psicol. rev. (Belo Horizonte) [online]. 2021, vol.27, n.1, pp. 39-57. ISSN 1677-1168.  http://dx.doi.org/10.5752/P.1678-9563.2021v27n1p39-57.

Lesbophobia means violence directed at lesbian women because of their sexual orientation, which counteracts compulsory heterosexuality. It also occurs in the academic sphere, since the university is part of society and reproduces violence. This qualitative research aimed to investigate the violence experienced by university lesbian women. In the process of selecting the participants, ten lesbian students from a public university were chosen, indicated by third parties. Semi-directed interviews were subsequently analyzed in the light of the meaning nuclei. The results indicated that while in the academic space violence is symbolic, by means of comments and glances directed mainly by students during university parties, violence is explicit and perpetrated by the same authors, in short, the students, through the fetishization of the body of the lesbian woman. In addition, lesbophobia manifests itself by the perception of lesbianism as a passing occurrence or due to unsatisfactory heterosexual experiences. It is worth mentioning that lesbophobia, as well as other types of gender-based violence, are in dissonance with the university’s ethical political engagement, and must be tackled.

Keywords : Lesbophobia; Gender–based violence; University.

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