1887
Volume 13, Issue 1
  • ISSN 2211-3770
  • E-ISSN: 2211-3789
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Abstract

Abstract

The belief that there is a relationship between sexuality and speech has inspired a vast body of linguistic research on lesbian- and gay-sounding voices (Campbell-Kibler 2007Gaudio 1994Levon 2006Moonwomon-Baird 1997Munson, McDonald, DeBoe & White 2006aMunson, Jefferson & McDonald 2006bPierrehumbert, Bent, Munson, Bradlow & Bailey 2004Smyth, Jacobs & Rogers 2003Zimman 2013). Bisexuality is conspicuously absent in this literature. This article analyzes bisexual English speakers’ productions of the voiceless alveolar fricative /s/ relative to lesbian, gay, and straight speakers using linear mixed-effects regression modeling. A qualitative analysis of post-test participant information surveys contextualizes the statistical findings. The quantitative and qualitative results suggest that bisexual women and men do not pattern consistently with each other or lesbian, gay, or straight speakers. The analysis highlights the extent to which ideologies of sexuality, gender, and normativity inform experimental sociophonetic research practice.

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2024-01-30
2025-04-30
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