Beyond the Global North Gender and Sexuality Categories: The Travesti Identity in Brazil

Some categories widely used to classify gender and sexuality originated in the Global North, and though produced in specific geographical and cultural spaces, they are often applied universally, disregarding local diversities and reflecting a colonial matrix of power. Reading sexual and gender diversity through a few universalized categories and as a unitary phenomenon results in overlooking multiplicities, localities and cultures. The Travesti identity, present in Latin America, challenges these imposed lenses, as its meaning is profoundly tied to local realities. This paper discusses the implications and limitations of the universalizing use of these categories and analyzes the Travesti identity within the Brazilian context, which is often marginalized and misunderstood in global debates. Drawing on academic literature, this research demonstrates that the particularities of the Travesti identity are uniquely shaped by local cultural, political, and social factors, contributing to debates on gender, sexuality, transnationality, power and coloniality. The analysis shows that the incorporation of a Global North lens has rendered the most common gender-variant identity in the country unintelligible in academic and political environments. Furthermore, understanding the LGBTQI+ movement as universal and homogeneous results in the erasure of local resistance and its unique cultural and political strategies. The Travesti identity serves as a powerful case study, demonstrating how culture, politics, and localities interact and how overlooking these dynamics has real effects on local communities.