Minoritarian Liberalism: A Travesti Life in a Brazilian Favela Review

Abstract

The book "Minoritarian Liberalism- A Travesti Life in a Brazilian Favela" by Moisés Lino e Silva, published in 2022 by The University of Chicago Press, presents us with the challenge of understanding the freedom of liberal ideology beyond the crystallized representations in common sense, permeated by Eurocentric liberalism. In this sense, minoritarian liberalism is neither necessarily individualistic nor based on private property, but rather on a strategic approach of disidentification. This disconnection lies in the relationship between dominant and subordinate forces, with the latter aiming to produce their own logic about freedom. To build his argument, the author takes us to the Rocinha favela in Rio de Janeiro. Proposing to conduct a queer anthropology, the book guides us through a captivating and profound ethnography, the result of years of observation and dedication to his interlocutors. As the narrative unfolds, we see that the author does not shy away from exploring his emotions in the field as a way to enrich his analysis. One of the methodological issues deepened by Lino e Silva is the breaking of the anthropological pact of objectivity by becoming friends with the people he studied. However, I highlight that the richness of the text lies in the way his friendship with Natasha drives the anthropologist to delve deeper into the travesti universe of the Rocinha favela.