“Leaving the Ghetto”: Dictatorship, Homosexualities, Repression and Resistance in the Pages of the Newspaper Lampião da Esquina (1978-1981)

The article aims to problematize the multiple forms of repression and resistance in the pages of Lampião da Esquina, the first national publication to openly address the issue of homosexuality during the period of the military dictatorship. Published between 1978 and 1981, the newspaper sought to talk about homosexuality positively, contesting the stigmas often related to the topic, which reinforced the pathological and “abnormal” character of homosexuals, and condemning any types of manifestations that did not fit into the patriarchal and heteronormative model of society. In this sense, the idea is defended that the newspaper constituted a channel for building sociability and resistance, which sought to amplify the voice of homosexual people, one of the social groups that suffered the most from repression and silencing during the military regime.

Keywords:
Dictatorship; Homosexualities; Repression; Resistance; Lampião da Esquina