Book Chapter


Erotic representations of gender diversity : a computer-assisted linguistic analysis of online erotica

Abstract

In this chapter, we explore how gender diversity is articulated in the erotic imagination through a computer-assisted linguistic analysis of a large collection of amateur porn stories collected from Literotica (2016), one of the largest and oldest online spaces devoted to the genre. We argue that pornography, of which written erotica is a genre, allows for imaginings of gender-diverse bodies and experiences that may run counter to the constraints of mainstream queer discourse. We highlight the range of gender-diverse identities portrayed in these stories, how they are described and characterised, and the role that gendered experiences play in narrative development. We focus on the terms ‘transgender’, ‘shemale’, ‘tranny’ and ‘sissy’ using techniques from corpus linguistics and stylistics. We examine the distinct patterns of use these descriptors show in our data, and explore the complex dynamics of masculinity and femininity, shame and euphoria, and individuality, transgression and community that these texts articulate.



The fulltext files of this resource are currently embargoed.
Embargo end: 2025-06-22

Authors

Lischinsky, Alon
Gupta, Kay

Oxford Brookes departments

Department of History, Philosophy and Culture

Dates

Year of publication: 2023
Date of RADAR deposit: 2023-02-24



All rights reserved. "This is the accepted manuscript of a book chapter published by Routledge in Routledge Handbook of Sexuality, Gender, Health and Rights on 22 Dec. 2023, available online: https://www.routledge.com/Routledge-Handbook-of-Sexuality-Gender-Health-and-Rights/Aggleton-Cover-Logie-Newman-Parker/p/book/9781032243986."


Related resources

This RADAR resource is the Accepted Manuscript of Erotic representations of gender diversity: a computer-assisted linguistic analysis of online erotica
This RADAR resource is Part of The Routledge handbook of sexuality, gender, health and rights (2nd ed.) [ISBN: 9781032243986] / edited by Peter Aggleton and Rob Cover (Routledge, 2023).

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