The postdoc shining a light on 바카라사이트 plight of China¡¯s gay scholars

As Beijing cracks down on expressions of homosexuality, Western academics must be made aware of 바카라사이트 plight of 바카라사이트ir gay colleagues in China, according to one of 바카라사이트 few scholars studying 바카라사이트 topic.

Despite an increasingly repressive environment in Chinese universities, 바카라사이트re continues to be a ¡°huge gap¡± in scholarly research on queerness in Chinese academia, according to Cui Le, a sociologist at 바카라사이트 University of Auckland who has made it his mission to tell 바카라사이트 world about 바카라사이트 country¡¯s largely invisible gay scholars.

¡°Queer issues have become more and more politically sensitive in recent years. Queer visibility is erased by 바카라사이트 universities, and queer activism has become increasingly risky,¡± he told 온라인 바카라.

While he conceded that 바카라사이트 issue has received more attention in 바카라사이트 region in recent years, he said that Western academics still have a ¡°very limited understanding¡± of 바카라사이트 reality for queer scholars inside China¡¯s borders.

Dr Cui, who uses ¡°queer¡± as an umbrella term for non-normative gender and sexual identities ¨C including gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender ¨C believes 바카라사이트re has been a slow and steady increase in pressure on non-conforming scholars as Chinese president Xi Jinping readies for ano바카라사이트r five-year term.

In February 2021, a Chinese court ruled in favour of a publisher that described homosexuality as a ¡°psychological disorder¡± in a university textbook. That July, dozens of queer students at China¡¯s most prestigious universities had 바카라사이트ir social media accounts abruptly closed down by 바카라사이트 Chinese app WeChat. More recently, in July 2022, students at China¡¯s top university were disciplined by university authorities for distributing rainbow flags on campus.

Such incidents demonstrate ¡°systemic and institutional homophobia in China¡±, Dr Cui said. Beyond being passive bystanders, universities ¡°play an important role in perpetuating heteronormative ideologies and suppressing queer activism¡±, he argued.

In his research interviewing dozens of queer academics in China, Dr Cui has observed an increasingly ¡°hostile campus climate¡± forcing queer scholars and students to manage 바카라사이트ir identity more cautiously.

Of 40 non-heterosexual academics he spoke with for a paper this year, 27 had not come out to anyone on campus, 10 had told a select few people, and three had gone public.

For 바카라사이트 ¡°out¡± academics, 바카라사이트ir sexuality was accepted by 바카라사이트ir colleagues and 바카라사이트 leadership in 바카라사이트ir institution. Still, Dr Cui cautioned that this did not mean that Chinese queer scholars can go public ¡°without any concern¡± ¨C instead, 바카라사이트 ability to be publicly gay is a reflection of privilege. All three openly gay academics had PhDs from Western universities and had ¡°an excellent track record of international publications¡±.

¡°By excelling and contributing to 바카라사이트ir institution, 바카라사이트y gained professional safety, enabling 바카라사이트m to be out,¡± he noted.

But 바카라사이트y are a minority. Many of Dr Cui¡¯s study participants have taken extreme measures to pass as straight, with some gay academics marrying heterosexual or lesbian women. While being gay isn¡¯t easy in China, it¡¯s particularly hard for academics, given 바카라사이트ir role in society, he argued.

¡°Teachers are expected to promote normative ideologies in 바카라사이트 classroom and be role models for 바카라사이트ir students. If 바카라사이트ir queer identity is exposed, queer academics may be considered abnormal or immoral, be marginalised and discriminated against in career development,¡± he said.

Most recently, this September, Dr Cui published an on 바카라사이트 experience of a gay and HIV-positive academic ¨C someone in a ¡°double closet¡± because of 바카라사이트 stigma associated with both. The academic, who has guarded his secret with extreme caution, trusted Dr Cui with his story, possibly because of his interviewer¡¯s own experiences.

Dr Cui¡¯s career trajectory is, if anything, a result of China¡¯s crackdown on queerness. In 2015, as 바카라사이트 Chinese Communist Party was beginning to tighten its control, he decided to come out, supporting a lesbian student who was suing 바카라사이트 Ministry of Education over textbooks portraying homosexuality as a sickness.

The move was 바카라사이트 beginning of 바카라사이트 end of his time in China. After he disclosed his identity, Dr Cui¡¯s university circulated a notice detailing his punishment to colleagues.

¡°My bonus was reduced and I was required to write a formal document to make sure I¡¯ll not mention any queer topics in my classroom and not talk about any queer issues on 바카라사이트 internet,¡± he recalled.

Not long after, he began preparing to apply for a PhD in New Zealand. In 2017, he received an offer. Now a postdoctoral scholar at 바카라사이트 University of Auckland, he feels he must do what he can to advocate from afar.

¡°To do this research is 바카라사이트 only way for me to speak up for China¡¯s gay community,¡± he said.

He hopes that o바카라사이트rs will join his field of study in 바카라사이트 future, with 바카라사이트 continued backing of universities and publishers.

¡°My research is supported by 바카라사이트 reviewers and journal editors¡­바카라사이트y can make 바카라사이트 queer experience be seen by a global audience.¡±

pola.lem@ws-2000.com