Da batalha na calçada ao circuito do prazer: um estudo sobre prostituição masculina no centro de Fortaleza

Abstract

This work aims at producing knowledge on male prostitution, based on research carried out in the central area of Fortaleza, Ceará. In this and other metropolises, there is a plurality of spaces where young men prostitute themselves with other men. They are called “michês”, “prostitutes”, “boys” and other names, and they do their activity on the streets, pornographic movies theaters (“cinemões”), bars, night clubs and motels, among other environments. The research was based on field work carried out during 18 months. Besides systematic observation of “points” and places attended by michês, especially bars and “cinemões”, nine semi-structures interviews were conducted with these subjects. The research showed that even if they were engaged in homoerotic practices, they do not identify themselves as such. They are young men of precarious social condition, and the majority comes from peripheral neighborhoods. They practice their activity in a sex market in which there is a hierarchy according to criteria of youth, masculinity, and sexual skills. Territory is not just the stage on which michês show their bodies in search of partners (costumers), but also the place for negotiation of desires and fantasies for obtaining profit and pleasure. Male prostitution is a complex phenomenon, in which the relationship between sexual identity, territory, and work is an element of great relevance.