The text presents the results of an investigation on how an organization seeks to delineate homosexuality's criteria of perception, endeavouring to make it socially legitimate. This redefinition starts from the generalization of homosexuality notion as a "human right". Next, it brings the homosexual to the level of "citizen" and therefore entails a rupture with the usual concepts of homosexuality. The organization looks forward to participate in the political space with this shift in the homosexuality's criteria of perception. The author argues that the understanding of homosexuality definition and activity charged by the organization requires the inclusion, in the investigation, of homosexuals' social resources and characteristics. The connection between homosexuality and "human rights/citizenship" relates to homosexuals' high education. This factor allows a rupture with the dominant criteria of definition of homosexuality, and ensures homosexual participation in discussions which main agenda is the defence of "human rights" and "citizenship." Moreover, it is linked to the engagement of homosexual individuals in other spaces of participation; which supplied the outlines of perception of the "subject homosexual" as well as the means and resources needed for publicizing these outlines.
homosexuality; social identity; political representation; stigma; social conditions of engagement