Thermal comfort and gender affirmation: A virtual ethnography of extreme heat among trans women in Rio de Janeiro

Abstract

The multisensory experience of feeling hot, breathless, sweaty, and weak during heat spells among transgender people is a critically understudied area in both medical anthropology and thermal comfort research. This article contributes to the anthropology of heat and humidity by intersecting with health and thermal comfort studies. Through virtual ethnography with three trans women in Rio de Janeiro in 2021 and 2022, the research reveals that trans women in the city face heightened risks of heat stress and thermal discomfort due to unsafe living conditions, side effects of gender-affirming modifications, and social discrimination. These findings highlight the urgent need to address the specific challenges transgender individuals face in accessing thermal safety and underscore the importance of considering their unique needs.