Safe spaces, agency, and resistance: a metasynthesis of LGBTQ language use

Abstract

The purpose of this metasynthesis is to present a structured review of the literature on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) language usage. Much of the rhetoric surrounding individuals who identify as LGBTQ focuses on their victimization and oppression. To problematize this limited perspective, this metasynthesis of literature suggests that LGBTQ youth are actively working against marginalization, oppression, and silencing through language practices that employ critical literacy and elicit the disruption of hegemonic ideology. Drawing on Darvin and Norton’s (2015, Identity and a model of investment in applied linguistics. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 35, 36–56) key concepts from the model of investment and queer theory, I explore three uses of LGBTQ language: the creation of safe spaces, agency, and resistance. My findings reveal the need for safety within classrooms in order for LGBTQ students to participate successfully in critical literacy practices.

Keywords:

• Youth LGBT
• activism
• agency
• language

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Mary-Celeste Schreuder

Mary-Celeste Schreuder, M.Ed., is a doctoral student at Clemson University in the Literacy, Language, and Culture program.