LANGUAGE, IDENTITY, AND SEXUALITY: A SYSTEMATIC NARRATIVE REVIEW OF LGBT DISCOURSE IN LINGUISTIC RESEARCH
Keywords:
Normativity, Self-Labeling, Digital Discourse, Multilingual Identity, Queer LinguisticsAbstract
This article systematically reviews recent linguistic research on LGBT/queer discourse, focusing on how language mediates identity, sexuality, gender, normativity, and social recognition. The review used a Scopus seed strategy, targeted hand-searching of language-and-sexuality outlets, PRISMA 2020-informed screening, and narrative-thematic synthesis. Eligible studies were English-language peer-reviewed journal articles published from 2021 to May 2026 that centrally examined language, discourse, communication, semiotics, or sociolinguistic practice in relation to LGBT, LGBTQ+, queer, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, or gender-diverse identities. Forty-four studies were included. Four findings structure the synthesis: naming and labeling are central mechanisms of recognition; normativity operates through heteronormative, homonormative, transnormative, mononormative, and anti-gender registers; digital platforms intensify queer visibility while producing new forms of vulnerability; and intersectional multilingual research is essential for understanding race, migration, religion, locality, and language hierarchy. The review contributes a legibility-vulnerability model showing that linguistic practices make LGBT/queer identities recognizable while also exposing subjects to misrecognition, surveillance, stigma, and regulation. The evidence is conceptually coherent but limited by English-language selection, strong representation of specialist language-and-sexuality outlets, and methodological heterogeneity. Future research should expand multilingual, Global South, computational, and community-accountable approaches.
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