Beneath The Equator

Based on long-term field research carried out over more than 15 years, Beneath the Equator examines the changing shape of male homosexuality and the emergence of diverse and vibrant gay communities in urban Brazil. Drawing on detailed ethnographic description of multiple sexual worlds organized around street cruising and impersonal sex, male prostitution, transgender performances, gay commercial markets and establishments, gay rights activism and AIDS service provision, Richard Parker examines the changing sexual identities, cultures and communities that have taken shape in Brazil in recent years. Also includes 15 maps.

Library Journal

Brazil has only infrequently recognized gay life. Cultural anthropologist Parker's landmark study unveils how the Brazilian gay community has materialized in the last 15 years. Using his earlier work, Bodies, Pleasures, and Passions: Sexual Culture in Contemporary Brazil (Beacon, 1991. o.p.), as a springboard, Parker delves into the evolving role of gay men and the lush gay fabric of metropolitan Brazil. Relying on over 200 interviews and surveys, Parker analyzes two distinct issues: the evolving framework of homosexual desire and practices, and the foreign influence on the social, economic, and demographic factors of gay life. Parker connects these developments to the wider processes of urbanization, industrialization, and globalization. This excellent overview is designed as the first in a series of monographs examining Brazilian homosexuality. Appropriate for larger public and academic libraries.--Michael A. Lutes, Univ. of Notre Dame Lib., IN