La violenza anti-queer: voci dal campo dei rifugi LGBT in Italia

This research focuses on the experiences of trans and non-binary individuals within the institutional Gender-Affirming Pathway (GAP) in Italy. The Italian GAP consists of a standardized process involving psychological, medical, and legal aspects, with a gender-dysphoria diagnosis being a crucial requirement. The study involved 45 trans and non-binary individuals between the ages of 18 and 38, investigating their experiences with GAP through semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis using a Codebook approach was conducted to analyse the data. The participants highlighted various limitations of the institutionalized GAP, including practical challenges such as costs and waiting lists, as well as in their interactions with professionals who were both inadequately prepared and in a gatekeeping position. Additionally, the GAP enforces a rigid and stereotypical view of trans experiences, which impacts participants and leads to internalized transnormativity. The findings indicate that the current Italian GAP exercises control over the experiences of trans and non-binary individuals by determining the timing and methods by which they can affirm their gender.

L’articolo descrive le discriminazioni e le violenze subite dalle persone LGBT+, alla luce dei dati statistici prodotti recentemente nel nostro paese, per poi riflettere sulle diverse rappresentazioni della violenza emerse dalle interviste con responsabili, operatrici e operatoci delle case rifugio dedicate alle LGBT+. La distinzione tra le strutture, in funzione del target di individui ospitati, ha permesso di riflettere sulle differenze esistenti tra diversi livelli di concettualizzazione della violenza nei confronti delle persone queer: se il concetto di violenza familiare si impone con forza in ragione dell’emergenza rappresentata dai molti giovani in fuga dalla famiglia d’origine, quello di violenza strutturale richiama la necessità di agire per produrre un cambiamento radicale delle condizioni di vita dell’intera comunità.