Chinese Journal of Sociology ›› 2016, Vol. 36 ›› Issue (2): 215-241.

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Paradoxical Visibility: An Analysis of Homosexuality Representation in The Nine Gay and A House of Zanker

LUO Muyuan   

  1. Department of Sociology and Gender Studies Programme, the Chinese University of Hong Kong
  • Online:2016-03-20 Published:2016-03-20

Abstract: This study provides an analysis of the homosexuality representation in two online shows of The Nine Gay and A House of Zanker. Both online shows confine their representation of homosexuals in private domain, in which, consumption, love and intimacy, and family relationship constitute the cornerstone of homosexual life. Life outside this confined private sphere, or experiences other than sexuality and gender are invisible in the shows. Under this type of representation, homosexuality becomes a phenomenon of the young, urbane and middle-class. People do not fall in this category are neither visible nor comprehensible. Such a representation overlooks the issues of class division, regional disparity, inequality in education and between rural and urban, as well as differences in age and body. It reduces a very diverse group of people into a single homogenous group that is free from any oppression of class and inequality except sex/gender discrimination. By locating homosexuality in a privatized and de-politicalized domain, conventional homosexuality seeks the acceptance of the mainstream culture and demonstrates its willingness to comply and preserve the mainstream norm.Heteronormativity becomes the only enemy. This absence of oppression and inequality in representation portrays homosexuals as those who follow homonormative rules——a mere opposite of heteronormativity. Homonormativity and heteronormativity are the dual sides of the visibility. This paradoxical visibility, on one hand, helps change the social stigma associated with homosexuality and promote gay civil rights;on the other hand, it restrains homosexual representation at the expense of those marginalized invisible groups. Such a representation may lead to a misguided direction, not a true emancipation for the gay rights movement.