SEMIOTIC RESISTANCE AND QUEER VISIBILITY: LGBTQ+ NARRATIVES IN CHURAILS AND THE ROLE OF YOUTUBE IN PAKISTANI MEDIA DISCOURSE

Abstract

This paper explores how OTT platforms, specifically YouTube, influence and represent LGBTQ+ identities and how these identities are perceived in Pakistani culture by analyzing the web series Churails (Witches). Utilizing the Triadic Model and Semiotic Technique, as developed by Charles Peirce, the study focuses on LGBTQ+ identity, including symbols, visuals, and elements of stories, determining their effectiveness among Pakistani audience of the internet media. The results highlight the dual role of OTT platforms such as YouTube in fostering progressive discourse on gender and sexuality while encountering societal resistance rooted in conservative norms. The key scenes, as the love confessions of the lesbian couple Bubblie and Pinky, the birthday celebration of the transgender character, Baby Doll, depict the transformative potential of media in challenging traditional values and promoting inclusive narratives. This study extends the Triadic Model of Charles Peirce to South Asian digital storytelling and offers a theoretical contribution to understanding the queer representation in non-Western spaces of resistance. It emphasizes how signs, their meaning, and objects construct multiple meanings that create interpretive space for marginalized voices. Audience responses vary from supportive to hostile, showing how broadcasting this kind of content sparks public discussion and reshapes the limits of cultural acceptance. This study contributes to the discourse on the role of media in shaping cultural perceptions and provides insights into the intersection of global content and local identity within a rapidly digitizing society.