Male homosexuality and spirit possession in Brazil.
Journal of homosexuality January 1, 1985 P Fry 71 citations
In Afro-Brazilian possession cults in Belém do Pará, male sex roles are divided into two categories: bicha and man, with no term equivalent to the Western category of "homosexual." The paper describes the cults' beliefs, rites, and social organization, then analyzes folk explanations for the presence of many bichas in these groups. It argues that bichas gain social rewards within the cults, and that the structural relationship between homosexuality and the cults arises from their congruent marginality relative to mainstream society.