Adriana Sales - Travestis brasileiras e escolas (da vida)

2020, Adriana Sales, Brazil, Portuguese,

Original title: "Travestis brasileiras e escolas (da vida): cartografias do movimento social organizado aos gêneros nômades" (Brazilian transgenders and schools (of life): cartographies of the organized social movement to nomadic genders) by Adriana Sales.

The book Travestis brasileiras e escolas (da vida): cartografias do movimento social organizado aos gêneros nômades by Adriana Sales is a groundbreaking and deeply personal exploration of transgender existence and resistance in Brazil. It does not merely analyze the lives of travestis from an external academic perspective, but instead speaks from within their world, blending experience, activism, and research into a single, powerful narrative. What makes this work so important is that it was written by someone who has lived the history she describes. Adriana Sales is herself a travesti, an activist who has been part of the organized trans movement in Brazil since 1998. Her position as both an insider and a scholar allows her to approach her subject matter with sensitivity, complexity, and courage.

 

The existence of travestis in Brazilian society is still largely surrounded by stereotypes and misconceptions. They are often depicted as exaggerated, marginalized figures, confined to the narrow spaces society allows them to occupy. Research on this population has historically been filtered through the lenses of prejudice and exoticism, turning real lives into caricatures. Adriana’s book challenges this tendency by shifting the gaze. She takes the reader beyond simplified portrayals and instead presents travestis as active participants in shaping their own histories, communities, and identities. Her writing reflects the reality of living in a world that constantly seeks to define who travestis should be, while simultaneously silencing their voices.

 

In this work, Adriana achieves something rare in academia: she steps out of her role as an activist to assume the position of a researcher without abandoning her lived connection to her community. This transition is not an easy one. The tension between being part of a movement and analyzing it critically can create emotional and ethical challenges. Yet she navigates this space with honesty, acknowledging her dual role and transforming it into a source of strength rather than bias. Instead of distancing herself from her subjects, she engages in conversation with the very pioneers of the travesti movement in Brazil. These dialogues reveal stories of struggle, solidarity, and self-invention that have often been excluded from mainstream narratives.

 

Travestis brasileiras e escolas (da vida) reads like a map that intertwines the past and the present. Adriana calls her approach a “cartography” of lives, tracing the routes of those who built the organized trans movement and following how their experiences continue to shape the present. She shows how the metaphorical “school of life” becomes a place of learning for travestis who have had to teach themselves how to survive, love, and create meaning in a society that often denies them recognition. Her research sheds light on how education, both formal and informal, intersects with gender identity and how social spaces can either reinforce exclusion or nurture empowerment. 

 

What makes this book exceptional is its authenticity. It is a work created by a travesti for travestis, and that distinction matters. For too long, academic studies about gender diversity in Brazil have been dominated by cisgender voices that often fail to grasp the nuances of trans experiences. Adriana’s perspective changes the paradigm. She offers a study that not only analyzes but also honors the complexity of travesti life. Her narrative refuses pity and instead celebrates resilience, intelligence, and creativity. It invites readers, both inside and outside academia, to reconsider what they think they know about gender and identity. 

 

Although this is an academic work, its relevance goes far beyond university walls. It can serve as a resource for educators, policymakers, activists, and anyone committed to social change. The stories and analyses it contains highlight how essential it is to listen to those who live the realities being studied. By bringing the voices of travestis to the forefront, Adriana’s book contributes to creating a more just and inclusive society. It encourages institutions to reflect on their role in perpetuating discrimination and offers insight into how education can become a space for transformation rather than exclusion.

 

Adriana Sales herself embodies the combination of scholarship and activism that defines this work. She graduated in Letters from the Federal University of Mato Grosso, completed an internship in culture and civilization in Paris, and earned her master’s degree in Education from the same university in Rondonópolis. She later pursued her PhD in Psychology at UNESP in Assis, São Paulo. Today, she is a professor of basic education in Mato Grosso’s state education system and a researcher affiliated with the PsiCuQueer group at UNESP/Assis and the GENI group at UERJ. Beyond her academic career, she has been a dedicated activist within the Brazilian trans movement, working with the National Association of Travestis and Transsexuals (ANTRA) for more than two decades.

 

Her trajectory mirrors the message of her book: that knowledge and transformation are inseparable. Travestis brasileiras e escolas (da vida) stands as a landmark in Brazilian queer and trans studies, not only because it is intellectually rigorous but because it carries the pulse of lived truth. It is a text that honors the memory of those who came before, amplifies the voices of those who continue to fight, and opens doors for future generations of researchers, activists, and educators who believe that changing the world begins with telling our own stories.

Available via Amazon

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