LOVE, A FEMININE WORD: THE CONSTITUTION OF LESBIAN EXISTENCE IN AMORA, BY NATÁLIA BORGES POLESSO

Abstract

Lesbian experiences are subjected to erasure and silencing in the Western world, particularly through the implementation of the heterosexual regime as a means of maintaining coloniality (Curiel, 2011). This non-space occupied by lesbian women is represented in the short story collection Amora (2015) by Natália Borges Polesso. By analyzing three specific stories – Flor, Flores e Ferro Retorcido, Primeiras Vezes, and Vó, a senhora é lésbica? – this article investigates the constitution of lesbian experiences through an intersectional perspective (Akotirene, 2019; Collins; Bilge, 2016), taking into account the different age groups and generations of the characters. Within the transdisciplinary paradigm of [theoretical-epistemological perspective removed to preserve author anonymity] (Author 2, Year), we adopt Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) as a theoretical-methodological approach, alongside gender studies (Butler, 2021; Rich, 2010) and decolonial studies (Maldonado-Torres, 2016; Menezes de Souza, 2019; Mignolo, 2003; Quijano, 2005) to support the discussions. In these analyses, we highlight how language discursively constructs notions about socio-identitary issues, producing violences such as lesbophobia, repression, and ageism. Therefore, the results reveal the complexity of these lesbian experiences, shaped by intersectionality and marked by social stigmas, compulsory heteronormativity, and silencing. Finally, this work emphasizes the importance of creating spaces for lesbian narratives, recognizing their fundamental role in constructing a more inclusive and plural social memory by challenging the power structures that silence non-heteronormative identities.