Non-Binary Gender Identities and Language Use

Abstract

The sociolinguistic research that has examined the relation between language and gender has experienced a significant change in the past decades. As a matter of fact, a new approach to feminist theory that rejected the fixity of gender binary and encouraged the diversity of gender identities emerged in the 1990s. Together with this new feminist approach, queer theory, with Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick and Judith Butler being among the main exponents, also highlighted the notion of gender as a social construct and the importance of the speech acts to construct identities. Thus, the study of gender within the field of sociolinguistics is now more concerned with the diversity of gender identities and rejects oppressive constructions around gender and sexuality. In section 2 of this paper, those theoretical aspects are discussed, along with the recent linguistic contributions promoted by individuals with non-binary or non-normative gender identities. This paper aims to examine the power and the effectiveness of language not only to support but also to construct identities. In the third section, I present the contrasting experiences of individuals with non-normative gender identities and the gender-neutral choices promoted by them to reveal and disclose those identities. Moreover, this section will show the subversive role of language through the redefinition of historically derogatory words such as queer. The findings of research on language and gender have emphasised the importance of the evolution of language in order to create a gender inclusive world. Thus, throughout the creation of new linguistic options, non-binary gender identities can be taken into consideration and understood by society in general. At the same time, the creation of new words and gender-neutral options has promoted a broad debate between people, especially among linguists and grammarians, who underestimate the necessity of new gender-neutral options. Finally, some future challenges in relation with the possible identities an individual can perform are also identified.

The sociolinguistic research that has examined the relation between language and gender has experienced a significant change in the past decades. As a matter of fact, a new approach to feminist theory that rejected the fixity of gender binary and encouraged the diversity of gender identities emerged in the 1990s. Together with this new feminist approach, queer theory, with Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick and Judith Butler being among the main exponents, also highlighted the notion of gender as a social construct and the importance of the speech acts to construct identities. Thus, the study of gender within the field of sociolinguistics is now more concerned with the diversity of gender identities and rejects oppressive constructions around gender and sexuality. In section 2 of this paper, those theoretical aspects are discussed, along with the recent linguistic contributions promoted by individuals with non-binary or non-normative gender identities. This paper aims to examine the power and the effectiveness of language not only to support but also to construct identities. In the third section, I present the contrasting experiences of individuals with non-normative gender identities and the gender-neutral choices promoted by them to reveal and disclose those identities. Moreover, this section will show the subversive role of language through the redefinition of historically derogatory words such as queer. The findings of research on language and gender have emphasised the importance of the evolution of language in order to create a gender inclusive world. Thus, throughout the creation of new linguistic options, non-binary gender identities can be taken into consideration and understood by society in general. At the same time, the creation of new words and gender-neutral options has promoted a broad debate between people, especially among linguists and grammarians, who underestimate the necessity of new gender-neutral options. Finally, some future challenges in relation with the possible identities an individual can perform are also identified