Following the legalization of same-sex marriage in Taiwan, LGBTQ+ issues have become more visible in public discourse. This study explores how Taiwanese gay men construct sexual identity through Instagram posts during the Taiwan Pride Parade. Grounded in social identity theory, the research analyzes 125 posts collected via snowball sampling, using a grounded theory approach to uncover identity-construction strategies. Two main textual strategies emerged. First, hashtag framing (e.g., #LoveWins, #同志驕傲 [#GayPride]) functions as a clear form of self-identification and community affiliation. Second, the use of community-specific jargon (e.g., “女神” [goddess], “熊” [bear], “姊妹” [sister]) reflects subcultural belonging and sexual orientation through implicit, coded language. These strategies illustrate how users negotiate visibility, express solidarity, and perform identity within digital queer spaces. The findings emphasize the fluid, performative nature of LGBTQ+ identity on social media and offer insights into queer self-representation and community practices in contemporary Taiwan.

Authors:
Ting-Yu Liu, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Taiwan
Chin-Hui Chen, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Taiwan

About the Presenter(s)
Ms.Ting-Yu,Liu is an master's degree of modern language department at National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Taiwan. My research interest is language-related feild. Currently, I'm working on the research of Identity Categorization.

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