Abstract:

This article has the general aim to understand the production of masculinities for men who call themselves “macho” on erotic dating apps. We start from a theoretical framework that question the power regime that structures the understanding of masculinities and sexuality, using the regulatory matrix of heteronormativity as a basis. As for the method, we use qualitative social research on the internet from an application designed for erotic encounters between men to locate and build knowledge in the pandemic context and at a peripheral/university region of the city of Recife/PE. For analysis, we used maps of association of ideas, considering the dialogue and the crossings of meaning production. Our results and discussions led us to think about the imperative of normative masculine performance regarding the body and the relational level, as well as personal conflicts in the face of social assumptions about masculinities in practices of cruising.

Keywords:
Masculinities; Gender; Cruising, Grindr, Covid-19