- Embodying Peripheries
- Edited by Giuseppina Forte, Kuan Hwa
Femminielli and the city: urban space and non-binary gender identities in Naples
- Fabrizia Cannella
- © 2022 Author(s) |
- CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
- DOI: 10.36253/978-88-5518-661-2.09
This essay examines the interrelation between (peripheral) gender identity and (peripheral) urban space. The analysis focuses on the femminiello, a quintessentially Neapolitan non-binary subjectivity embodying a fluid sexual identity, performatively crossing across masculine and feminine, deeply connected to the territory where it originates—Naples’ inner city and its low-income historic neighborhoods. Accordingly, the essay looks at the material and immaterial interrelations between urban space and the femminiello identity. Methodologically, the study is built on a qualitative approach based mainly on fieldwork interviews with three of the most prominent femminielli of the Neapolitan context: CiroCiretta, a recognized exponent of the femminielli community and among the founders of a cultural association devoted to spreading and preserving the ancient femminiello culture; Tarantina Taran, an iconic local figure dubbed as “Naples’ last femminiello” in the city’s Spanish Quarters; and Loredana, activist and secretary of Naples’ Transsexual Association. The voices and stories of these three femminielli led us to read this non-binary gender identity in its relation to urban space, from different and complementary perspectives, which ultimately helped us trace a map of changing meaning and emerging forms of adaptation over time.
- Keywords:
- Naples,
- femminielli,
- queer space,
University of Venice Iuav, Italy - ORCID: 0000-0001-7328-3513
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Chapter Information
Chapter Title
Femminielli and the city: urban space and non-binary gender identities in Naples
Authors
Fabrizia Cannella
Language
English
DOI
10.36253/978-88-5518-661-2.09
Peer Reviewed
Publication Year
2022
Copyright Information
© 2022 Author(s)
Content License
Metadata License
Bibliographic Information
Book Title
Embodying Peripheries
Editors
Giuseppina Forte, Kuan Hwa
Peer Reviewed
Number of Pages
304
Publication Year
2022
Copyright Information
© 2022 Author(s)
Content License
Metadata License
Publisher Name
Firenze University Press
DOI
10.36253/978-88-5518-661-2
ISBN Print
978-88-5518-660-5
eISBN (pdf)
978-88-5518-661-2
eISBN (xml)
978-88-5518-662-9
Series Title
Ricerche. Architettura, Pianificazione, Paesaggio, Design
Series ISSN
2975-0342
Series E-ISSN
2975-0350