Words Like Water: Queer Mobilization and Social Change in China

After China officially "decriminalized" same-sex behavior in 1997, both the visibility and public acceptance of tongzhi, an inclusive identity term that refers to nonheterosexual and gender nonconforming identities in the People's Republic of China, has improved. However, for all the positive change, there are few opportunities for political and civil rights advocacy under Xi Jinping's authoritarian rule.

Words like Water explores the nonconfrontational strategies the tongzhi movement uses in contemporary China. Caterina Fugazzola analyzes tongzhi organizers' conceptualizations of, and approaches to, social change, explaining how they avoid the backlash that meets Western tactics, such as protests, confrontation, and language about individual freedoms. In contrast, the groups' intentional use of community and family-oriented narratives, discourses, and understandings of sexual identity are more effective, especially in situations where direct political engagement is not possible.

Providing on-the-ground stories that examine the social, cultural, and political constraints and opportunities, Words like Water emphasizes the value of discursive flexibility that allows activists to adapt to changing social and political conditions.

Author: Caterina Fugazzola
Publisher: Temple University Press
Published: 10/13/2023
Pages: 188
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.53lbs
Size: 8.25h x 5.50w x 0.44d
ISBN13: 9781439921470
ISBN10: 1439921474
BISAC Categories:
- Social Science | Activism & Social Justice
- Social Science | LGBTQ+ Studies | Gay Studies
- Social Science | Ethnic Studies | Asian Studies