For queer cities, for dyke cartographies

archeological essay about the Stonewall inn and the Ferro’s bar as places of LGBTQIA+ memory

Abstract

In this essay I propose to tell and discuss the history of two places of memory of the LGBTQIA+ movement: The Stonewall Inn, in NY, and the Ferro’s Bar, in São Paulo. Therefore, I present some of its characters – people, things, places and landscapes – and the social and material relationships that lead to these events, and then point out some avenues of research and possible archaeological works in the construction of narratives and material memories of important parts of history. of the LGBTQIA+, lesbian and feminist movement nationally and internationally. I chose to think from these two places, because in their similarities and differences, both are significant for thinking about the processes of recovery, construction and preservation of material memories, politically significant spaces and urban landscapes alternative to those present in official history. Therefore, I rely especially on the productions of Queer Archeology and the Archeology of Repression and Resistance, and through them I intend to think not only about the artifacts, spaces and material marks of state violence in their necropolitics projects (MBEMBE, 2003) misogynistic, racist and lgbtqia+phobic, but also the resistant materialities – queer, feminists, lesbians, fags, trans, drags, butches – also so important in these contexts of declared revolts to these systemic and institutional repressive practices.