TRANSSEXUAL WOMEN AND TRAVESTIS IN THE STATE OF RIO GRANDE DO NORTE: THE IMPLEMENTATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS FOR GENDER DISSIDENTS IN DEPRIVATION OF LIBERTY
human rights; transsexual women and travestis; gender relations; prison system; State of Rio Grande do Norte.
The Brazilian prison system presents an undeniable complexity. Not only is the alarming and constantly growing number of incarcerated individuals concerning, but also the inadequate and precarious infrastructure of prison facilities, as well as the population composition within the system. The State of Rio Grande do Norte is no exception to the national rule, especially regarding the treatment of particularly vulnerable population groups, such as transsexual women and travestis. Thus, this research aims to study, in a general scope, the State of Rio Grande do Norte's role in protecting transsexual women and travestis deprived of liberty between the years 2018 and 2022. The relevance of this research lies in understanding that the realization of human rights for gender dissidents not only promotes social justice but is also aligned with the international commitments made by the Brazilian State. Within the prison context, the demand is even more urgent, considering the vulnerabilities of the group under analysis. As initial hypotheses, it is assumed that the reality of incarceration is harsher for transsexual women and travestis, whose gender performance is dissociated from the notion of binary gender, which is a part of what humanizes or dehumanizes individuals in contemporary society. On the other hand, despite the progress made in the last 05 (five) years regarding the formulation and implementation of public policies aimed at the LGBTQIAP+ population in the State of Rio Grande do Norte, when it comes to incarcerated transsexual and travesti individuals, the same level of transformation cannot be observed. In conclusion, it is considered that the state actors involved in promoting measures related to the protection of transsexual and travesti individuals deprived of liberty have managed to expand the protective framework from different perspectives; however, there are still no effective measures to prevent the reproduction of inequalities within the prison system.