(In)Visible Queerness in Conflict: Examining the discursive construction of LGBTQI+ people during the Russian invasion of Ukraine

Abstract

This thesis analyses the constructions of members of the LGBTQI+ community in Ukrainian and Russian news media during the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. This thesis approaches the research question through a queer discursive lens, which is attentive to how power dynamics influence the (re)production of discourses. This thesis synthesises security concepts through this queer discursive theoretical lens to develop a greater understanding of how discourses contribute to the othering of queer people in conflict. A critical thematic analysis of 55 total Ukrainian and Russian news media articles was undertaken. This thesis finds that in the case of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, news media from both states constructs queer people in ways that deprive them of their individual identities and contribute to the naturalisation of their insecurity. This thesis argues that despite differences in their specific constructions, each of the representations of LGBTQI+ people in Russian and Ukrainian news media signify power dynamics that essentialise queer identities in ways which benefit both Russia and Ukraine.