Enregisterment of a Peruvian Queer Argot: What Transgender Women Think About Lóxoro

Abstract This article focuses on Lóxoro, a Peruvian cryptolect stereotypically associated with trans women sex workers, and the metapragmatic discourses about its use and vitality. I argue that contrary to the external, dominant belief that Lóxoro is a full-fledged secret language exclusively employed among trans women in extreme situations, many transgender women view Lóxoro as a set of linguistic signs that lightly encrypt daily speech. Based on my interviews with trans women, I reconceptualize Lóxoro as a queer argot. I analyze three recurrent enregisterment discursive elements that deviate from the exoticizing narrative reinforced by Peruvian media. Lóxoro is not only used by transgender women, it is also performed for joy and building community, and it is getting lost among newer generations of trans women.