Ph.D. Candidate Presents at Lavender Languages and Linguistics Conference

UGA Linguistics Ph.D. candidate Tucker Hardison recently presented his research at the Lavender Languages and Linguistics Conference, held August 20–22 at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK. The annual conference brings together scholars from around the world to explore intersections of language, gender, sexuality, and identity.

Tucker’s presentation, “Speaking between worlds: Gay men’s linguistic navigation across rural and urban Southern U.S. spaces,” highlights how rural gay men in Georgia adapt their language use depending on social and geographic context. His project responds to a gap in sociolinguistic research, which has historically focused on urban gay men, by examining how queer identity is linguistically negotiated in rural spaces that are often assumed to be heterosexual.

Drawing on interviews with young men from rural Georgia, Tucker analyzed the data through the framework of Queer Folk Linguistics (QFL). Findings show that speakers are acutely aware of the stereotypes surrounding Southern American English (SoAE)—often associated with backwardness, conservatism, and heterosexuality—and sometimes use SoAE features in rural settings to signal conformity and remain “functionally invisible.” In more urban and queer-affirming spaces such as Athens, however, participants reported greater freedom to express themselves without modifying their speech.

By demonstrating how language ideologies shift across rural and urban contexts, Tucker’s research sheds light on the complex ways queer speakers in the South navigate identity, belonging, and safety. His work underscores the importance of considering place and cultural expectations in the study of language and sexuality.

Learn more about the conference and project abstracts here. 

Congratulations to Tucker on representing UGA Linguistics at this international forum for innovative research!