No Longer a ‘Guy’, But a ‘Flaming-Hot Mess of a Queen’: The Role of Language in Contemporary Nonbinary Autobiographical Life Writing

This article discusses the employment and role of language in selected contemporary Anglophone nonbinary life-writing narratives. Initially, it contextualises these works within present-day visibility representation debate through discussion older similar texts, foregrounding theme authorial agency over one’s relation to diverse readership. In analysis, I explore how narrators relate their language-related struggles, both with environment (e.g. [un]acceptance pronouns) identity formation absence vocabulary. Some narrate search for, affective response finding a suitable existing Narrators loved ones who prefer creating own words are discussed second part analysis examining vocabulary alternation, neologisms, creativity. show autobiographical life writing is impacted by authors’ hyperaware metalingual engagement imperfect language, demonstrate they recreate this as ‘site resistance’, successfully navigating its oppressive binaristic genderedness narratively construct visibilise identities on terms.