“I am who I am” : Mitigating LGBTQ identities in heteronormative society

Ting, Su Hie and Yeo, Jiin Yih and Collin, Jerome and Ling, Hsin Nie (2023) “I am who I am” : Mitigating LGBTQ identities in heteronormative society. Journal of Asian Pacific Communication. pp. 1-23. ISSN 1569-9838

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Abstract

The study examined how LGBTQ individuals negotiate their identities in the Malaysian heteronormative society using the Discourse-Historical Approach. In-depth interviews were carried out with 13 LGBTQ individuals to find out the discursive strategies they used in describing the triggers for coming out, their experiences, and the reasons for their struggles. The analysis of the interview data showed that the participants used the “des�tiny” and “rights” arguments to counter the “legal”, “religious” and “tradi�tional values” arguments used by heterosexuals to reject them. Referents and personal pronouns were selectively used by LGBTQ participants to pre�sent different perspectives, “us” versus “them” (heterosexuals), “I” and other LGBTQ individuals, and “I” versus “they” or “you” (other sexual orienta�tions). The findings have implications that are relevant to mitigation of LGBTQ identities in contexts which have strong heteronormative norms due to legal, religion and traditional values.

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