Sex Differentiation in Thai LGBTQ Movies: A Case Study of First-Person Pronouns and Sentence-Final Particles

Abstract

            This study examines the use of first-person pronouns and sentence-final particles in Thai LGBTQ movies, with a focus on sex differentiation, which explores linguistic differences between genders. The research questions are: do movie characters of each gender use different kinds of first-person pronouns and sentence-final particles? And how? Personal pronouns and sentence-final particles are linguistic markers that can signal an individual’s gender according to Nawawan Panthumetha’s word categorization. Three Thai movies were selected for analysis: Iron Ladies Roar, How to Win at Checkers (Every Time), and Yes or No 2.5: Love Again. The movies were chosen because they depict naturalistic conversations and included LGBTQ characters, namely lesbian, gay, and transgender individuals.

          The study finds that the use of personal pronouns and sentence-final particles in these movies is closely tied to constructs of masculinity and femininity. Characters typically express gender identity consistent with their biological sex, except for transgender characters, who exhibit linguistic behaviors associated with their gender identity rather than their biological sex. In the movies, the characters express gender identity by using sentence-final particles more than personal pronouns since the characters used only gendered sentence-final particles. On the other hand, the most used personal pronouns in the movies are the gender-neutral personal pronouns.