Abstract:
This thesis examines the construction and expression of a queer identity on the example
of queer fiction written in Kazakh in modern Kazakhstan. A single work of fiction titled
“Renaissance”, and written by a young Kazakh man, who identifies himself as gay is analyzed in
connection to the platform, on which this work is created and disseminated. The work’s
connection to the notions of space and time is highlighted, in order to reveal the inner
complexities of the queer experience among the Kazakh speaking gay men in Kazakhstan.
The work and its sociocultural prerequisites are analyzed through the use of Foucauldian
notion of heterotopia. The effect that heterotopias have on identity is studied through the use of
Derridian grammatology and Deleuzian notion of rhizomatic connections. Reddit style forums
on the VK social media written by and for gay men is studied with the purpose of isolating and
examining various processes that are taking place within the Kazakhstani queer community.
These forums are then connected to the page, on which the work of fiction under study is
published. The thesis traces the metamorphoses of the main protagonist’s identity within the
story. These traces are found in the language of the text, as well as the interactions between
characters and the setting of the story. This analysis resulted in the understanding of queer
identity as a dynamic phenomenon.