BETWEEN MEMORY AND DIFFERENCE: INTERSECTIONAL PATHS IN TEACHER TRAINING IN GENDER AND SEXUALITY BASED ON AN EXTENSION COURSE

Abstract

This article presents the results of an extension course on Diversity, Gender, and Sexuality, developed in a small city of Tocantins, and linked to the projects Dialogues with Teacher Training and Intersections of Gender, Sexuality, and Health. The training proposal was based on the understanding of teacher training as an ethical-political process, in which difference is understood as a potential for the construction of emancipatory pedagogical practices. The study is grounded in Cultural and Gender Studies, drawing on authors such as Akotirene (2019), Caetano (2013), Louro (2014), Rangel (2014) and Paraíso (1998a, 1998b). Methodologically, it adopts a narrative approach (Clandinin; Connelly, 2015; Passeggi, 2010), using the experiences and life stories of the course participants as research and knowledge production tools. The narratives were understood not only as data sources but also as spaces for critical reflection, listening, and redefining teaching practices. The results indicate that the course enabled recognition of the intersections between gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, and social class, promoting shifts in participants' conceptions and pedagogical practices. The narratives reveal movements of resistance, learning, and re-existence, highlighting the need for teacher training that values ​​differences, embraces memories, and builds pedagogical pathways committed to social justice and human emancipation.