Language change in online trans communities

My qualitative and quantitative research into online trans spaces contributes to discussions on how technology and digital spaces can be a resource for trans people to find community and connect with others. Language change and development in queer communities showcases the importance of language reform and reclamation. However, this intersects with ways that trans inclusive language discourses perpetuate other kinds of linguistic injustice -- with classist, and academic elitist gatekeeping around trans language, and the assumption and enforcement of White Supremacist norms of gender diversity. This said, shifting terminology and discourse are also a source of joy and self-understanding, as the abundance of online discussion generates new possibilities for the ways people understand each other and themselves, thereby shaping the social world. By combining computational modelling and qualitative analysis, I add an important element to both decontextualised computational work (by investigating salient elements of socio-political context) and qualitative discourse analysis (by providing a broader, data-driven picture within which to analyse language in interaction). Through these complementary methodologies, my work will engender crucial understandings in this fraught and generative space.