THE OTHER SIDE OF THE EUROPEAN DREAM IN THE RETURN OF A BRAZILIAN ESCORT

Abstract

This article focuses on the case of Matheuzinho, a young man from the interior of Minas Gerais whose trajectory reveals the fractures of the European dream, especially by exploring the frustration, illness, precariousness, and the continuity of transnationally articulated logics. The article is part of a larger research project that explored the sex work experiences of Brazilian men in Europe, with fieldwork conducted between 2020 and 2023. By analyzing the frustrations, illness, and precariousness faced by this interlocutor, the “European dream” of social and financial ascent is problematized. The article also discusses the re-signification of transnational sexual practices, such as sex parties with chemsex, adapted to the context of Ipatinga, Minas Gerais, highlighting the complexity of migrations and the impact of return in the contexts of origin. The research adopts an intersectional perspective, considering race, class, gender, and nationality in the structuring of hierarchies in sex markets, migratory return, as well as possibilities for agency.

KEYWORDS:
Sex work; Brazilian; Return; Escort; Sex part