Surfacing and Applying Meaning: Supporting Hermeneutical Autonomy for LGBTQ+ People in Taiwan

TL;DR

This paper explores how AI chatbots can support LGBTQ+ individuals in Taiwan by fostering hermeneutical autonomy, helping them reframe hostile narratives, validate experiences, and explore identities amidst social media hostility.

Contribution

It introduces a novel LLM-powered chatbot with four interaction modes designed to enhance hermeneutical autonomy for LGBTQ+ users, based on participatory research insights.

Findings

The system helps reframe hostile narratives.

It validates lived experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals.

It reduces the hermeneutical labor involved in social media navigation.

Abstract

After Taiwan's legalization of same-sex marriage in 2019, LGBTQ+ communities continue to face hostility on social media. Using the lens of hermeneutical injustice and autonomy, we examine how technological conditions affect LGBTQ+ individuals' identity exploration, narrative seeking, and community resilience. We conducted a multi-stage study with Taiwanese LGBTQ+ individuals, including in-depth interviews, participatory design workshops, and evaluation sessions. Participants described fragile yet creative strategies such as seeking validation in online interactions, reframing hostile content through theory, and relying on allies. Building on these insights, we designed and evaluated a retrieval-augmented, LLM-powered chatbot with four modes of interaction: reflection, validation, discussion, and allyship. Findings show that the system fosters hermeneutical autonomy by helping participants reframe hostile narratives, validate lived experiences, and scaffold identity exploration, while reducing the hermeneutical labor of navigating social media hostility. We conclude by outlining design implications for AI systems that advance hermeneutical autonomy through fluid self-representation, contextualized dialogue, and inclusive community participation.