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TZ

Tianyang Zhou

Tianyang Zhou is a PhD candidate in Media and Cultural Studies, Media and Film Department,  University of Sussex

Representation of Gay Men in Chinese Mass Media

The emphasis of gay liberation movements on coming out of the closet aims to make invisible homosexuals visible in the real life. This kind of visibility could contribute to both cultural and political transformation of how gay men and lesbians were seen and treated in the heterosexual dominant society. In accordance with this, it remains crucial to examine how gay men and lesbians are represented in the media. As Dyer argued ‘how social groups are treated in cultural representation is part and parcel of how they are treated in life, that poverty, harassment, self-hate and discrimination are shored up and instituted by representation’ (2002:1). A better understanding of gay male identity and community depends to some extent on understanding of representation of gay men in the media.

This paper addresses the general questions of gay male representation in the context of the study of mass media content and effects. I will first elaborate in greater detail how gay men are represented in the Chinese films and television, taking into account the media regulation and censorship. Second, I will explore the meanings and significance of the growing gay visibility in Chinese media and look at whether the increased gay images are providing an unbiased representation of the gay male community and enhancing the social tolerance towards male homosexuality. Finally, I will focus on discussing the rise of Chinese gay media as a resistance to the hegemonic force of the dominant media.

LGBT Rights Movement and the Social Media Effect: A Case Study of Taiwan Pride (with Po-Han Lee) 

Pride, in the context of LGBT rights movements, not only plays a key role in identity politics but also presents a positive stance against discrimination by increasing the visibility and diversity of sexual and gender minorities in a society. In the era of Web 2.0, the Internet, especially social media as a double-edged sword, has greatly affected social movements. However, there is a dearth of research focusing on the significant relationship between social media and gay social movement in the Asian context. As such, this study uses Taiwan Pride, which is the most influential LGBT Pride in East Asia, as a case study to examine the influence of social media, particularly Facebook, on the LGBT rights movement. Complementary methods are used to explore the complexities between social media and the continually changing characters of Taiwan Pride, in which the combination of a survey, online observations, and semi-structure interviews serves to deepen and enrich one another. The findings suggest that in a positive direction, social media has increased the visibility of LGBT community, and simultaneously, promoted internal mobilization of sexual and gender minorities. On the negative side of the balance sheet, along with the commercialization and carnivalisation of Taiwan Pride, social media also serves to incubate new forms of homophobia and strengthen homonormativity.

LGBT Rights Movement and the Social Media Effect: A Case Study of Taiwan Pride (with Po-Han Lee)

Pride, in the context of LGBT rights movements, not only plays a key role in identity politics but also presents a positive stance against discrimination by increasing the visibility and diversity of sexual and gender minorities in a society. In the era of Web 2.0, the Internet, especially social media as a double-edged sword, has greatly affected social movements. However, there is a dearth of research focusing on the significant relationship between social media and gay social movement in the Asian context. As such, this study uses Taiwan Pride, which is the most influential LGBT Pride in East Asia, as a case study to examine the influence of social media, particularly Facebook, on the LGBT rights movement. Complementary methods are used to explore the complexities between social media and the continually changing characters of Taiwan Pride, in which the combination of a survey, online observations, and semi-structure interviews serves to deepen and enrich one another. The findings suggest that in a positive direction, social media has increased the visibility of LGBT community, and simultaneously, promoted internal mobilization of sexual and gender minorities. On the negative side of the balance sheet, along with the commercialization and carnivalisation of Taiwan Pride, social media also serves to incubate new forms of homophobia and strengthen homonormativity.

Wednesday, October 10
 

2:00pm EDT

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Thursday, October 11
 

9:00am EDT

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Friday, October 12
 

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Saturday, October 13
 

9:00am EDT

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7:00pm EDT