Resistências e enfrentamentos à LGBTQIAP+fobia: percepções dos estudantes do ensino médio do Instituto Federal do Amapá, campus Macapá

Abstract

The present study is based on the understanding that we live in a society marked by historical processes of oppression against certain groups, referred to as minority groups. Among them are LGBTQIAP+ individuals, whose experiences reflect a culture that has been structured and continues to be shaped by cruel and violent social rules, perpetuated through the hierarchization of sociocultural values, where heterosexuality is positioned above other forms of sexuality. The guiding question of the study is: How do LGBTQIAP+ adolescents at IFAP/Campus Macapá perceive LGBTQIAP+phobia and experience processes of resistance and coping in their school experiences? The objective is to analyze, from the theoretical perspective of minority stress, the processes of resistance and coping that LGBTQIAP+ adolescents experience in their school lives at IFAP/Campus Macapá. The specific objectives are: to understand the discussions of norm, gender, and sexuality considering the school culture; to comprehend heteronormativity in the school environment and its implications for the stress experienced by LGBTQIAP+ adolescents; and to analyze, based on interviews, how sexual minority adolescents at IFAP/Campus Macapá experience stress in the face of LGBTQIAP+phobia. This is a research study with a qualitative approach. Regarding data analysis, the research relied on content analysis. The research technique used was semi-structured interviews. Research location: Instituto Federal do Amapá, Campus Macapá. The research participants were adolescents regularly enrolled in one of the integrated/full-time technical courses at the federal educational institution at Campus Macapá. All ethical principles related to research involving human beings were followed. The main findings were: Family was mentioned as a crucial support point, as anguish and suffering are more intense for those who lack family support. All adolescents reported having concealed their sexual orientations due to fear of prejudice and violence. Moments when events occur on campus, in the cafeteria, and in the gymnasium were cited as the most unsafe places in the school. Discriminatory experiences in the school environment were present in the participants' accounts, corroborating the assertion that the school is an environment that contributes to violence against the LGBTQIAP+ population. Although adolescents consider IFAP/Campus Macapá to be a welcoming environment, this reception occurs because of the support networks created by these young people and constitutes forms of resistance within the school environment. This research contributes positively to both the field of education and the LGBTQIAP+ movement, as it brings the voices of these adolescents to society, allowing institutional policies to focus on minority groups that suffer from prejudice and may experience mental health issues due to their sexual and gender diversity.