"Quem tem medo de puta é pai de família": história e memória das prostitutas de Campinas (1952-1959)

Abstract

In this study, we will examine the relationship between prostitution in Campinas and the social, urban, and moral changes that occurred during the consolidation of Goiânia as the capital of Goiás. Prostitution in Campinas was tolerated and played a social role, but the establishment of Goiânia brought about an urban and social reconfiguration that marginalized sex workers and erased the memories and identities of Campinas. The discursive construction of the period stigmatized sex workers as agents of moral corruption, while "respectable" women were relegated to the roles of mothers and wives. The division between "respectable" and "public" women perpetuated gender inequality. The construction of Campinas' identity as a "Bohemian Zone" reflects the tension between tradition and progress, between local history and the vision of a modern capital. The collective memory of Campinas persists in the narratives of older residents, who recall a more welcoming and intimate era.