Abstract:
The objective of this article is to analyze the struggle of trans activism for recognition in the Brazilian political context and to propose the concept of “transcis-rexistence,” for assessing empirically the possibilities of resistance through alliances that promote the recognition and representation of trans people. The discussions are based on the Axel Honneth’s theory of social recognition and on Anne Phillips and Iris Marion Young’s discussions of descriptive representation. We show that collective candidacies and mandates promote “transcis-rexistence” by challenging the Brazilian political system and by considering political under-representation as a dimension of non-recognition. Collective struggle helps build intersubjective recognition through the construction of alliances that connect ideas and social perspectives, as well as social actors.
Keywords:
trans activism; transsexuals; social recognition; descriptive representation; transcis-rexistence