Narrating Transgender Identities: A Linguistic Perspective

Abstract

This article aims at discussing the relevance of linguistic research with regards to transgender identities representation and self-narration. In fact, this issue of puntOorg International Journal (PIJ) tackles three different perspectives-economic, psychological and linguisticfrom which the representation and self-narration of transgender and gender non-conforming people working in organizations and business can be analyzed. From the linguistic perspective, interest towards the topic of transgender and gender non-conforming identities has been drawn only recently, despite the relevance language use has on the general understanding of these identity expressions. The discussion will include a qualitative Critical Discourse Analysis of a collection of eight narratives and testimonies of transgender individuals from Italy in relation to their workplace experience and their coming out stories.

Media Coverage Of Transgender Discourse

“…The scope of interests within the framework of queer (lavender) linguistics includes the following issues: 1) the study of language used by LGBT speakers; 2) gender identity formation demonstrated in the way we talk; 3) media coverage of LGBT issues as a way of forming public opinion about gender and sexual identity. Whereas the first two points have garnered substantial attention of scholars recently (Balteiro, 2015;Greco, 2012;Zottola, 2018), the problem of media coverage of LGBT issues still needs further investigation and study.…”