Beyond the cis gays’ cis gaze

Abstract

Trans and other nonnormatively gendered subjectivities served a foundational role in queer linguistics, but it is only recently that a wave of trans researchers have begun to carve out distinctively trans approaches to the study of language. This commentary explores the question of why this shift has taken so long and how certain disciplinary norms have made linguistics a less-than-attractive home for trans scholars, namely an apoliticised ideology of descriptivism, the flippant indulgence of linguistic curiosity and claims to linguistic authority. Importantly, these processes are vulnerable to furthering not only transphobia but also racism, colonialism, ableism and linguistic subjugation. These convergences present opportunities for coalition-based responses to the maintenance of social hierarchies in linguistics and allied disciplines, and underscore the importance of community-based approaches to research on language and gender alterity.