Abstract

ALEPH, Coletivo. A non-heteronormative look at mobility and permanence in urban spaces. Forum Sociológico [online]. 2020, n.36, pp.25-35.  Epub Aug 02, 2021. ISSN 0872-8380.  https://doi.org/10.4000/sociologico.9036.

The Coletivo Aleph project focused on the debate of everyday life in an urban space of people with different identities, gender expression and sexual orientations. These daily lives that take place in open public areas (squares, streets, gardens, parks), in semi-public spaces for recreation and leisure (cafés, gyms, sports clubs, shopping centers, etc.) and in private spaces (at home), are challenged when the questions who designed them and for whom the city was planned. This means that not all of these “socially accepted” spaces are inclusive, guarantee security, or promote affection and comfort. Perhaps because they are thought and designed through heteronormative lenses, their characteristics produce different effects on mobility, permanence, safety and, not uncommonly, produce exclusive practices. We ask, therefore, if these spaces are not, ultimately, those that allow the presence, mobility and action of certain groups and people, but inhibit the full access of others, leading to the debate on human rights, citizenship and the right to the city. The criticism developed by this investigation culminated in the development of a webdocumentary (digital tool available at http://www.ceg.ulisboa.pt/mpps/#3).

The communicational instrument used to present our research (the webdocumentary) explores contents related to the urban experience of young university students with different identities, gender expression and sexual orientation, who narrate, discuss and criticize urban space designed according to heteronormative lenses. This criticism is supported by the stories of the subjects involved and volunteers in our investigation. The methodology that Coletivo Aleph used to collect information focused on qualitative narrative techniques, in the form of storytelling, storymapping, and go-along techniques, resulting in maps, photos, written records, audios and infographics that illustrate the urban life of the participants. In addition to the narratives obtained under the aforementioned formats, an application was used in which the key points of their urban daily lives were recorded, thus expressing the sensations/atmospheres of welcome, repulsion, tranquility, freedom, etc. This article explores the objectives, methodology and results reached by Coletivo.

Keywords : gender identity and expression; sexual orientation; urban space; mobility.

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