Language and LGBTQ+ Youth

This book takes a queer linguistics approach to argue that young peoples identity constructions reveal their marginalisation in society, given the constraining ideological structures of gender and sexuality that they navigate together. It shows that an intersectional approach to theorising identity construction is crucial for the analysis of marginalised groups. The author develops a framework for an intersectional sociocultural linguistics (ISL) and applies it to linguistic ethnography with members of four LGBTQ+ youth groups in the UK. As such, their identities are informed by different intersecting categories (including race and class) which influence their unique life experiences. She uses discourse analysis to explore the links between such intersections and the ways in which the young people position themselves in relation to each other, their youth group, and the wider world. In focusing on these individual, varied identity constructions, the book also provides a unique, in-depth insight into the reality of being young and LGBTQ+ today. It details a range of UK policy implications emerging from this work and offers practical advice and personal reflections on how to impact policymaking and engage the public through sociolinguistic research.