THE TRAJECTORIES OF LESBIANS AND GAYS IN ACTIVISM: GENDERED REPRESENTATIONS THAT IMPACT WELL-BEING AND MENTAL HEALTH

Since the inaugural phase of the LGBTQIA+ movement, when it was still composed only of homosexual militancy, it has been observed that the different trajectories of lesbian and gay activists are marked by tensions and divergences between them. In order to comprehend how these two political subjects understand the way in which their representations and occupations in the social movement affect their well-being and mental health, this study aimed to qualitatively analyze their personal experiences and trajectory in the militancy of lesbian and gay activists. For this purpose, four gay men and four lesbian women, of different age groups, known for their careers in militancy, were interviewed. Through content analysis, three categories were produced: "Suffering related to representation in the social movement; "Virtual activism and the personification of activism" and "Self-care strategies". In the end, it was found that the way in which gender influences the representation of lesbians and gays in the movement causes different psychological suffering in both groups: gays seem to suffer from the burden of projection and recognition in representation; while lesbians suffer from the erasure and non-recognition of their work and struggles. Furthermore, it was pointed out that the relationship with activism requires self-care strategies in order to mitigate the effects of overload and setbacks in the daily activism.