This panel explores the intersections of gender, sexuality, and societal change in China, examining the challenges and transformations of queer identities in a transnational context, the evolution of the "New Woman" through the writings of Wu Ruonan, and the complex interplay of public opinion, media, and judiciary in the 1935 Liu Jinggui case.
Yingying Jiang
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Researcher on the European project 'Dealing with a Resurgent China (DWARC)' at the Center for East Asian Studies, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.
Title:
Queer in China: challenges and transformations in a transnational context
Abstract:
The term queer has historically been stigmatized in the English-speaking world as an insult. However, following the HIV/AIDS crisis in the 1980s and 1990s, activists appropriated this insult to turn it into a critique of normativity. In this context, the queer movement not only includes gender and sexual dissidents who resist dominant heterosexual values and norms, but also critically examines identity politics and questions the binary between homosexuality and heterosexuality, as well as the exclusionary processes that arise both within and outside the gay and lesbian movement. It is important to note that queer theory is inseparable from its struggles, as it draws strength from the social movement and its political agenda. The term queer theory was first mentioned by Teresa de Lauretis in 1990, in her critique and resistance against the normative institutionalization of lesbian and gay studies. In this sense, Warner (1993) adds that queer refers to an anti-normative stance that questions the regimes of the normal that produce exclusion and inclusion, and therefore, it is both a theoretical stance and a political position that claims resistance to a broad and complex field of normativities, which manifest differently in each cultural and political context.
Starting from the genealogy of the term queer, this paper analyzes its transformation in the context of the People's Republic of China, as well as queer Chinese activism from a transnational perspective, to demonstrate that queer subjectivities and politics are a field of constant negotiation, treated in peculiar ways between institutions such as the state, activist and academic sectors and individuals, and shaped also by local and transnational conditions.
The methodology of this research is based on fieldwork conducted in Madrid and other European cities between 2022 and 2024, using participant observation with the Chinese diaspora collective and Chinese queer and feminist activists. Direct participation in their political activities is also incorporated into the analysis. In addition to ethnographic work, the analysis of primary and secondary sources in English, Spanish, and Chinese concerning queer and feminist movements in China is applied.
Shuhui Yin
Macau University of Science and Technology, Assistant Professor
Title:
New Woman” as “Nüshi” and “Nora”: A Case Study of Wu Ruonan’s Woman Writing
Abstract:
Wu Ruonan, identifying herself as a “Nüshi”, actively voiced herself in Chinese vernacular publications since late nineteenth century, and engaged in political and cultural activities as one of the earliest female members of Tongmenghui of China. After the 1911 Revolution in China, she advocated for Chinese modern families of monogamy with her theories and practices. Among which, Wu directly involved with the translations of the “Ibsen Special Issue” of the journal La Jeunesse, contributing to the discourse of “Nora” in rethinking and reshaping women’s possible identities in the family, nation and society. “Nüshi”, originated from Chinese cultural traditions of intellectuals, together with the introducing ideas of “Nora”, constructed a new societal identity of “New Woman” in late nineteenth and early twentieth century China under Wu Ruonan’s woman writing. By analyzing texts, para-texts and intertextuality regarding to Wu Ruonan’s voices and practices, this research will decode the possibilities and also the “weakness” of her “New Woman”.
Yujie Zhu
Jilin University, Ph.D Student
Title:
"The Triple Entanglement and Response of the Public, Media, and Judiciary: A Reexamination of the Liu Jinggui Case of 1935
Abstract:
In 1935, China was colloquially referred to as the "Year of Women's Issues," marked by a surge in incidents involving women's suicides, homicides, and murders, such as the suicide of Ruan Lingyu, the shooting of Liu Jinggui, and the revenge of Shi Jianqiao. Among these, the case of Liu Jinggui shooting Teng Shuang falls into the category of crimes of passion, with its sensational nature and the involvement of female criminality appealing to the public's curiosity. Notably, the three principal figures—Liu Jinggui, Lu Ming, and Teng Shuang—belonged to the intellectual elite, with Lu Ming and Teng Shuang both recognized as outstanding national athletes. Their public identities as members of the intellectual and athletic classes drew significant societal attention to the case, making Liu Jinggui's crime of passion a nationwide sensation. This period coincided with the Nanjing National Government's vigorous promotion of the New Life Movement and judicial reforms, thus the evaluations of Liu Jinggui and the trial of his case became intertwined with the construction of "national discourse," serving as a crucial lens through which to examine the process of community formation during the Republican era.
Recent scholarly research on the Liu Jinggui case，these studies primarily focus on the discussions surrounding "emotion" or "chastity" in public opinion and the judiciary, while neglecting the interplay and dynamics among Liu Jinggui's personal narrative, media coverage, judicial proceedings, and government intervention under the dual discourses of "reform" and "reconstruction." Therefore, this paper aims to build upon previous research by examining the Liu Jinggui case from three perspectives: social opinion, governmental regulations, and judicial discretion. It seeks to clarify the representation of Liu Jinggui across different levels, analyze the gender perceptions and conflicts among various groups during this period, and explore their differing perceptions and practices regarding the New Life Movement and judicial reforms. Through this analysis, I intend to understand the relationship between media, society, and the judiciary in the 1930s, elucidating how the Republican government utilized, transformed, and controlled public opinion and the judiciary to unify public sentiment, legal adjudication, and political ideology, thereby advancing the process of "social community," disciplining individuals, shaping citizens, and consolidating the authority of the Kuomintang during the Nanjing National Government era.
