The Gay Way to Say: A Review of Sociolinguistic Research on Gay Speech

Résumé

The elusive concept of “gay voice” has intrigued researchers for decades, prompting investigations into the intricate relationship between language, sexuality, and identity. This paper synthesizes findings from five seminal studies and a meta-analysis to shed light on the production and perception of gay speech. Beginning with Rudolf Gaudio’s seminal study on pitch properties in gay and straight speech, we then turn to Erez Levon’s exploration of prosodic variables, Robert Podesva’s examination of phonetic features, and Drew Rendall’s biosocial hypothesis on gay speech, and concluding with Deborah Cameron and Don Kulick’s elucidation of gay language’s sociolinguistic evolution. This synthesis underscores the multifaceted nature of gay speech, influenced by sociocultural, biological, and contextual factors. It prompts a re-evaluation of assumptions regarding the gay community and calls for a nuanced understanding of identity construction through language. As society’s understanding of gender and sexuality evolves, future research may explore the interplay between gay speech and popular culture, particularly in the digital realm, offering fresh insights into this rich sociolinguistic phenomenon.