Mapping heteronormativity as state violence: the experience of gay men and lesbians in contemporary China and its implication for social work practice

Abstract

Gay men and lesbians in contemporary China face multiple forms of marginalisation and discrimination. However, little is known about how heteronormativity works to regulate the everyday lives of sexual minorities. Using narratives collected through in-depth interviews, we map out how heteronormativity is both simultaneously institutionalised by the state in China to maintain heterosexist dominance and is enforced through everyday social interactions that compel gay men and lesbians to conform to a heterosexual life. It is precisely this institutionally supported everyday enforcement that makes it impossible for gay men and lesbians in China to escape from heterosexist regulations. Understanding how heteronormativity works to produce heterosexist dominance is essential for social workers to effectively challenge it.

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