Life of one's own: negotiating homosexuality with the family and party-state in China
Abstract: The current study explores the process of how tongzhi, namely the homosexual men in China, who works for the party-state negotiates homosexuality with the family and the party-state in China. Under the background of the individualization of Chinese society, tongzhi has been pursuing to liberate homosexuality while encountering oppression from the family and the party-state. By analyzing the interviews with tongzhi working for the party-state, this study analyzes their narratives about the negotiation process. Regarding family, tongzhi mobilizes economic autonomy and social mobility in exchange for self-autonomy, where they develop zone for homosexuality. However, familial intimacy is usually involved in the decision of identifying homosexuality to the family. The negotiation in the realm of family is hence characterized by both first and second modernity. Regarding the party-state, tongzhi problematizes party membership and reconstructs it in terms of individualism. The construct can be identified as utilitarianism and populism. Such a strategy, together with relatively low level of flexibility, jointly depoliticalizes homosexuality in the public sphere and. This study also contributes to the discussion of the shift from traditional familism and communist collectivism to neo-familism and individualism.
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