Transgression in the closet: Gay academics’ experiences of heteronormativity in China
Homosexuality was decriminalised in China in 1997 and removed from the official list of mental disorders in 2001. However, it is still a social taboo and Chinese queer people face persistent discrimination from the authorities and the public. While international research has documented queer teachers’ workplace experiences, little is known about queer teachers’ experiences in China. To address this paucity, this thesis explores gay academics’ lived experiences of heteronormativity (Warner, 1993) in Chinese universities. The central research question is: How do gay academics navigate heteronormativity on campus in Chinese universities? Drawing on interview data from 40 gay academics in China, this research explores their experiences of managing sexual identity, interacting with queer students, addressing queer issues in the classroom, and conducting queer research. Informed by queer theory (McCann & Monaghan, 2020), this research seeks to deconstruct normative identities and notions that are regarded as normal in Chinese universities. Heteronormativity is employed as a key theoretical concept to identify the pervasive policing practices that perpetuate the heterosexuality/homosexuality binary and hierarchy. This thesis interrogates a variety of institutional practices and interpersonal interactions on Chinese campuses that privilege heterosexuality and marginalise homosexuality. It is shown that heteronormativity in Chinese universities is reinforced by the Party-state power. Furthermore, a queer perspective enables this research to trouble dominant discourses in literature, such as the “coming out imperative” (Rasmussen, 2004). The findings demonstrate that, despite a heteronormative and repressive climate, many gay academics adopted various strategies to manage their sexuality, support queer students, enact queerness in the classroom, or expand the institutional space for queer research in Chinese academia. The closet might enable gay academics not only to pass as heterosexual, but also to challenge heteronormativity. By drawing on Butler’s (1990) formulation of agency and highlighting gay academics’ subjectivities as both closeted and agentic, I argue that their agency involves a simultaneous mastery and submission in relation to heteronormativity and repressive politics. This research has implications for promoting sexual equity in Chinese higher education, as well as rethinking the approach to addressing queer issues in China where an explicit challenge to the institution and authorities is politically risky.
Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations