“Philosophy saved my life,” says transsexual student admitted to university

Last year, Raul Capistrano was the first student to walk into the classroom to take the ENEM, Brazil's nationwide university admission exam, and the last one to leave. Next to each question answered, Raul wrote the name of the teacher who taught him the topic at the TransEnem BH preparatory course, in Belo Horizonte. Now a Philosophy freshman at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Raul recounts his story with tears in his eyes.

“TransEnem BH opened the doors for me, and I felt like it was my duty to get all the questions right. I was admitted to the program I wanted, with the schedule and at the university I wanted,” says Raul, who was also motivated by the fact that he was able to use his male name in the ENEM.

Raul is a transsexual man and a source of inspiration for the 30 other transvestite and transsexual students who, a couple of days ago, attended this year's first class at TransEnem BH—a preparatory course exclusively designed to trans people pursuing the dream of going to the university.

Created last year, the course achieved remarkable results already in its first year. Despite offering classes on Saturday only, and in places with far-from-ideal infrastructure, nine of the 12 students managed to write the ENEM. In addition to Raul's admission to the UFMG, two other victories were celebrated: that of a boy at a the Catholic University of Minas Gerais (PUC Minas), and a girl, who also passed the test and became a UFMG student, like Raul.

A chance to rise

The idea for the course came about as part of the research into the difficulties facing transvestite and transsexual professionals in the labor market. According to data from the National Association of Transvestites and Transsexuals (ANTRA), 90 percent of  transvestites and transsexuals in Brazil are working in prostitution or other informal jobs. “These are people who want to become involved in other activities, but simply can't. There's no training, and no encouragement from school,” says Adriana Ribeiro Alves do Valle, a member of the team behind the course and a labor law professor at PUC Minas.

This year, 20 students are to attend the classes, to be held from Monday to Friday, from 7 to 10:30 pm. “Our demand was higher than the number of seats, but we didn't want to come up with criteria that would exclude people even further, so we adopted a very straightforward selection method: the enrollment date,” Adriana explained.

Infrastructure also saw an improvement. The project reached the state's Education Secretariat, which decided to lend a classroom at Pedro II State School. The team of volunteers, teachers and managers was joined by a psychologist, whose tasks include career counseling.

What the TransEnem BH team wants now is more funds for materials and students' transport. For this reason, they are looking for companies interested in becoming sponsors. A crowdfunding campaign was also launched. Thus far, approximately $650 was raised, which is still not sufficient.

Overcoming obstacles

The accounts of transsexuals and transvestites usually have one thing in common: the lack of encouragement from traditional schools. There, weighed down by prejudice, they often sit in the back of the classroom, silent. Their self-esteem is harmed and many come to experience depression. Dropping out of school is a frequent choice. “The environment is hostile. Sadly, many teachers make use of homophobic, transphobic, and sexist examples in their classes. It's discouraging. We can't express ourselves or ask questions without being the object of ridicule and mockery,” Raul pointed out.

For this reason, TransEnem BH works to build an environment which makes it possible for these students to restore their self-esteem. Teachers are not only advised to be technically prepared, but also to encourage students to participate, as well as respect their gender identity. “I gave them an assignment in which they had to write about transphobia in Brazil, but before that we had a rather heated debate on the topic. One of the girls said she would write her composition in tears. They're not given a chance to talk about their own problem and be heard very often. The outcome was very positive. I was touched,” literature and writing teacher Elisa de Oliveira recounts.

History teacher Mário Pollastri adds that students are able to feel at ease after overcoming traumatic middle and high school experiences. “We don't see the same interest in these students in other preparatory courses. They bring along with them experiences considerably different from what we've been accustomed to, which makes the classes a learning opportunity as much for us as they are for them.”

Chosen name

Libernina Andrade, 20, left Almenara, a city on the Minas Gerais-Bahia border, where she lived devoid of future prospects due to prejudice and the troubled relationship with her family. Today, she dreams of becoming an environmental or chemical engineer, and sees TransEnem BH as an ally helping her meet this goal. “I was really scared after I got here. I was scared of giving my opinion, but the teachers encouraged us to fight for our rights.”

A degree, Libernina argues, can help her fight discrimination in the labor market. The last time she worked she was a call center operator, when she still wore clothes socially regarded as masculine. As a woman, however, she was denied a number of opportunities. “It's tough. You do the interview and you see they liked you. You've got what they need. And then, when you show them your ID, with a masculine name on it, they apologize and say I don't quite fit the profile they're looking for.”

Libernina plans to have an ID card issued with her chosen name. “It's just one of the rights earned, but there's still a long way to go.”

The adoption of a chosen name is what opened the doors for Raul to study Philosophy at the UFMG. “I only signed up because I was allowed to use my chosen name. I wouldn't have done it otherwise, because the embarrassment is unbearable.”

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira