Disinformation about gender and sexuality and the disputes over the limits of morality

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.1982-8160.v15i2p179-203

Keywords:

Disinformation, Gender, Sexuality, Morality

Abstract

The article analyses the disinformation circulation in Brazil from its socio-cultural ground. It examines the false stories about gender and sexuality shared in 2019, arguing that they take part in a field of moral disputes. The research involved mapping fake news and rumors regarding these two markers through fact-checking agencies’ databases. Narratives’ characteristics of false stories were examined by qualitative textual analysis, and their publication sources were identified by reverse search in search engines. Among the main findings, it is stated that at least 65 disinformation pieces addressed gender and sexuality, most of them referring to events that guided the public agenda.

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Author Biographies

  • Thales Vilela Lelo, Universidade de São Paulo

    Postdoctoral researcher at the Departamento de Comunicações e Artes of the Universidade de São Paulo (CCA-USP), with a grant from the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (Fapesp), process no. 2019/01330-0.

  • Lorena Rúbia Pereira Caminhas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas

    Postdoctoral researcher at the Departamento de Antropologia of the Universidade de São Paulo (USP), with a grant from the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (Fapesp), process no. 2020/02268-4.

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Published

2021-08-31

Issue

Section

Em Pauta/Agenda

How to Cite

Lelo, T. V., & Caminhas, L. R. P. (2021). Disinformation about gender and sexuality and the disputes over the limits of morality. MATRIZes, 15(2), 179-203. https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.1982-8160.v15i2p179-203