In Another Voice: biomedical practices and technologies of genderfication

Abstract

In this article, we seek to reflect on the voice production of trans persons and travestis through biomedical practices and technologies of genderfication. For two years, we conducted ethnographic research, engaging in participant observation, interviews, and daily follow-up at the Trans Outpatient Service of the Federal University of São Paulo. Voice timbres evoke bodies that tend to be perceived as male or female by those who hear them. A person who does not vocalize in a manner that confirms this linearity may have their gender questioned. Individuals who cross this linearity seek to enact their voice, establishing complex negotiations with health professionals and health services. The new voice emerges from these negotiations, in encounters between hormones and speech therapy practices.

Keywords voice; gender; sexuality; biomedical practices