<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>The article investigates a debate on the issues of legal recognition of gender which took place in the Latvian Parliament in 2009 and which is considered a rich source of material for a two-fold analysis. As an example of gendered discourse, it shows the differences between female and male MPs’ ways of tackling this uncomfortable subject. As a discourse about gender, which allows one to study the speakers’ arguments and attitudes, it reveals prejudice, lack of knowledge and conservative thinking. The analysis thus illustrates the language and arguments employed in the public sphere when discussing face-threatening, taboo topics.</p></abstract>

The article investigates a debate on the issues of legal recognition of gender which took place in the Latvian Parliament in 2009 and which is considered a rich source of material for a two-fold analysis. As an example of gendered discourse, it shows the differences between female and male MPs’ ways of tackling this uncomfortable subject. As a discourse about gender, which allows one to study the speakers’ arguments and attitudes, it reveals prejudice, lack of knowledge and conservative thinking. The analysis thus illustrates the language and arguments employed in the public sphere when discussing face-threatening, taboo topics.

<italic>JA ES BŪTU SMUKS, ES GRIBĒTU BŪT MEITENE!</italic> (‘If I Were Pretty, I Would Like To Be A Girl!’). Debating Transsexualism In The Latvian Parliament

University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, D-78464 Konstanz, Germany

Gender Studies

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

 (‘If I Were Pretty, I Would Like To Be A Girl!’). Debating Transsexualism In The Latvian Parliament

The article investigates a debate on the issues of legal recognition of gender which took place in the Latvian Parliament in 2009 and which is considered a...

JA ES BŪTU SMUKS, ES GRIBĒTU BŪT MEITENE! (‘If I Were Pretty, I Would Like To Be A Girl!’). Debating Transsexualism In The Latvian Parliament

Published Online: Mar 25, 2015

Page range: 179 - 200

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/genst-2015-0013

Keywords
debates, gender, Latvian, parliamentary discourse, sociolinguistics, transsexualism

© JOANNA CHOJNICKA

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

JA ES BŪTU SMUKS, ES GRIBĒTU BŪT MEITENE! (‘If I Were Pretty, I Would Like To Be A Girl!’). Debating Transsexualism In The Latvian Parliament

Published Online: Mar 25, 2015

Page range: 179 - 200

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/genst-2015-0013

Keywordsdebates, gender, Latvian, parliamentary discourse, sociolinguistics, transsexualism

© JOANNA CHOJNICKA

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
debates, gender, Latvian, parliamentary discourse, sociolinguistics, transsexualism