Louis Cotgrove

This study examines how queer relationships are linguistically constructed and marked through "Othering" in the transcripts of the parliamentary debates in the German Bundestag from 1949 to 2024, using a mixed-methods approach combining quantitative corpus linguistics and qualitative discourse analysis. The study identifies persistent linguistic strategies that marginalize queer relationships as "deviant" or "different", while also observing shifts in discourse towards greater inclusivity. The findings indicate that early debates predominantly framed queerness in terms of criminalization and pathology, whereas later discussions incorporated more implicit forms of Othering. The study highlights the role of language in shaping societal perceptions of queer relationships and argues for the importance of linguistic inclusivity in political discourse. mehr