Journal Details
UNRAVELING THE RAINBOW: LANGUAGE AND IDENTITY IN THE LGBTQIA+ MEMETIC LINGUISTIC LANDSCAPE
Open AccessJournal Type: Research ArticleSubject: Arts Literature & LinguisticsSubject Field: Language and LinguisticsVolume:157, Issue: 1, September, 2024Publish Date: 24 September 2024
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Pages: 92-122
Abstract
This study aimed to explore the language and identity of the LGBTQIA+ community within the memetic linguistic landscape and their perceptions of LGBTQIA+ signs and symbols about inclusivity and exclusivity. The study employed a qualitative research design to analyze 50 LGBTQIA+ memes from the internet and interviewed eight LGBTQIA+ members using interview guide questions for the focus group discussion. Using Kress and van Leeuwens Visual Grammar Analysis, the findings reveal that the analyzed memes representational, interactional, and compositional meta-semiotic tasks were evident. These memes effectively present as objects of contemplation and narrate the lived experiences of the LGBTQIA+ community. By employing Peirces Triadic model, which examines the interplay of the representamen, object, and interpretant in meaning-making categories, the study revealed that LGBTQIA+ individuals shape their identities in the memetic linguistic landscape through unity and community empowerment, fear of coming out, and social commentaries on LGBTQIA+ issues. Focusing on LGBTQIA+ perceptions of how semiotic elements play a significant role in conveying messages of inclusivity and exclusivity, three themes emerged from the thematic analysis: symbol of existence and identity, unity for activism and advocacy, and manifestation of acceptance and awareness. Based on the research findings, semiotics emerges as a powerful tool that can unravel nuanced meanings and offer practical solutions, advocating specifically for equality, respect, and inclusivity regardless of gender diversities. In line with the research findings, the implications directly impact policymakers, educational institutions, meme creators, and the LGBTQIA+ community, enlightening them about the potential of semiotics in promoting equality and inclusivity.