Testosterone: The Dehumanizing Conversion is a journalistic and performative investigation by journalist Cristian Alarcón that explores how this hormone was used in children and teenagers as part of conversion therapy.
This project draws on Alarcón's personal experience—he underwent conversion therapy with testosterone at the age of 8—and seeks out other stories in the region, focusing on Colombia and Ecuador. The discovery of archives and testimonies reveals stories that have been hidden or legitimized by medical, religious, and family institutions.
What happens when a child's body becomes an experiment? What traces does testosterone leave when it is not chosen, but imposed as punishment or correction?
This project establishes historical connections with Nazi experiments and asks what echoes they have today in Latin America. At the same time, this project sets these violent uses next to the current legitimate and desired uses of testosterone by transgender, non-binary people, and women.
