A discursive construction of homosexual males in a Muslim-dominant community

Abstract

This paper addresses the issue of identity construction of four young Malay homosexual men in Malaysia. Through narrative discourse of their lifeworlds (Habermas, Theory of communicative action, Polity Press, 1987), this study explores the participants' linguistic repertoire and discursive strategies in the formation, negotiation and establishment of their identities. Specifically, the aim is to investigate their identities as Muslims living a homosexual lifestyle in a predominantly heterosexual Muslim society. The narrative data were gathered through semi-structured interviews cum conversations which allowed the participants to express their sentiments about their lives in a heterosexual society. Using an adapted Critical Discourse Analysis framework proposed by Reisigl & Wodak (The discourse-historical approach (DHA), Sage, 2009), this study analyses the participants' emergent language use and discursive strategies in representing themselves and others and in disclosing their positions towards the dominant sexual ideology. There is evidence of their internal struggle between their desire to stay homosexual and their obligation to assimilate to the dominant sexual ideology.