Binary-constrained code-switching among non-binary French-English bilinguals

This paper presents data on non-binary French-English bilinguals’ metalinguistic analyses of their code-switching behavior in discussing gender identities. Six bilinguals were recruited for sociolinguistic interviews via Montréal-based LGBT+ organizations and asked about experiences using French English, especially how they describe themselves each language. Participants’ preferences English to issues identity reveals a particular type topic-based is utilized this community—a novel phenomenon that I have deemed Binary-Constrained Code-Switching, where participants switch out an L1 (French) into L2 (English) because perceive as lacking the appropriate lexicon or grammatical features, specifically pronouns agreement markers, index In parallel dispreference identities, participants’ preference correlated with perceptions more gender-neutral language than French, well linguistic resources—chiefly, vocabulary— identities (c.f. queer). The presented here not only supplement primarily binary models found extant studies socially-motivated code-switching, but also provide greater evidence perceptual link between social gender.