Does being a feminine man hurt my masculine side? Reflections on the professional participation of a bicha in reflective groups for male perpetrators of violence

Abstract

This essay aims to reflect on the professional participation of a gay effeminate psychologist, or “bicha”, as a facilitator in reflective groups for male perpetrators of violence against women. The analysis explores the intersection of multiple power axes and the experience of a bicha body mediating a gender group composed of heterosexual men. The presence of this body in this context reveals a paradox: on one hand, there is a search for a masculine identity that differs from that of the group; on the other hand, the same gender socialization is shared. This paradox is illustrated by the difficulty in establishing bonds with the men in the group, whose effeminophobia makes bicha experiences invisible, yet also by the symbolic privilege shared due to this masculine socialization. In this “in-between place”, the bicha navigates identities in complex processes of subjectivation, disrupting institutionalized ways of being in the world and challenging masculine norms from a political perspective that questions both imposed stereotypes and established hierarchies. The essay thus emphasizes the importance of collectively sharing responsibility for gender-based violence, moving beyond the notion of individual guilt typically promoted by the judicial system.