Overview

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.

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9781439921463

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Reviews

"“There is currently no book out there that examines the LGBTQ/tongzhi movement in contemporary China from a social movement perspective. Through a nuanced analysis of the discursive and linguistic strategies employed by Chinese tongzhi groups and individuals, Words like Water provides a strong and plausible account of tongzhi activism that moves away from the Western rightsbased model of sexual politics. In this engaging ethnography, Caterina Fugazzola brings social movement theory and transnational queer Asian studies into conversation and decenters the Western discourse on sexual identity and politics, rights and activism, and mobilization and visibility. Fugazzola’s work is particularly significant for understanding the complexity of Chinese (queer) politics under the current political climate in China.”—Travis S. K. Kong, Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Hong Kong, and the author of Sexuality and the Rise of China: The Post-1990s Gay Generation in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Mainland China “An insightful exploration of Chinese LGBT activists based on careful research of their lived experiences, this book unravels the unique cultural and rhetorical contentions around sexual identities confronting this group. It is a timely interrogation of the limitations of prevalent rights-based approaches within transnational advocacy cooperation by highlighting the tension between political visibility and cultural change. A fascinating testament to Chinese LGBT activists’ tightrope walks between authoritarian rule and global queer mobilization, where opportunities and challenges are inseparable, Fugazzola’s extensive fieldwork inspires a rich and nuanced portrayal of China’s cultural battles for a harmonious blend of cosmopolitan and nationalistic, modern and traditional identities.”—Yan Long, Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Berkeley ""In addition to documenting the most recent development of Chinese LGBT activism at a critical moment, Fugazzola’s book makes a valuable contribution to the study of social movements and their relation to social change.""—Social Forces"

“There is currently no book out there that examines the LGBTQ/tongzhi movement in contemporary China from a social movement perspective. Through a nuanced analysis of the discursive and linguistic strategies employed by Chinese tongzhi groups and individuals, Words like Water provides a strong and plausible account of tongzhi activism that moves away from the Western rightsbased model of sexual politics. In this engaging ethnography, Caterina Fugazzola brings social movement theory and transnational queer Asian studies into conversation and decenters the Western discourse on sexual identity and politics, rights and activism, and mobilization and visibility. Fugazzola’s work is particularly significant for understanding the complexity of Chinese (queer) politics under the current political climate in China.”—Travis S. K. Kong, Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Hong Kong, and the author of Sexuality and the Rise of China: The Post-1990s Gay Generation in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Mainland China “An insightful exploration of Chinese LGBT activists based on careful research of their lived experiences, this book unravels the unique cultural and rhetorical contentions around sexual identities confronting this group. It is a timely interrogation of the limitations of prevalent rights-based approaches within transnational advocacy cooperation by highlighting the tension between political visibility and cultural change. A fascinating testament to Chinese LGBT activists’ tightrope walks between authoritarian rule and global queer mobilization, where opportunities and challenges are inseparable, Fugazzola’s extensive fieldwork inspires a rich and nuanced portrayal of China’s cultural battles for a harmonious blend of cosmopolitan and nationalistic, modern and traditional identities.”—Yan Long, Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Berkeley

Author Information

Caterina Fugazzola is Assistant Senior Instructional Professor of Global Studies at the University of Chicago.

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