Family formation among lalas (lesbians) in urban China: Strategies for forming families and navigating relationships with families of origin

Abstract

This article explores the ways in which Chinese lesbians, who identify themselves as lalas, form their own families and navigate their relationships with families of origin. To date, there is a lack of research on families formed by same-sex couples in urban China, where homosexuality remains stigmatized. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 35 lala-identified women in Beijing, this article shows that lalas’ formation of families has been shaped by, but at the same time shaping, their relationships with their families of origin, who tend to embrace heteronormative family beliefs. Engaging with ongoing debates on choice and individualization, this study reveals the tensions between lalas’ family aspirations and gendered, familial, material, and socio-political constraints imposed on female-led same-sex families. It contributes to sociological understanding of family change by revealing alternative paths to same-sex family formation in a context where the act of coming out is challenging and families formed by same-sex couples remain largely invisible.

A “Phoenix” rising from the ashes: China’s Tongqi, marriage fraud, and resistance

“…Wang (2019) mentioned a cooperative heterosexual marriage could offer a legal protection for her children. Lo (2020) found that gay marriages often outwardly reflect heteronormative family beliefs and fit well into the grand narrative of individualization. Wei and Cai (2019) described gay couples as an egalitarian partnership, a peer relationship, and enjoying individualization.…”

(Dis)Engagement with queer counterpublics: Exploring intimate and family lives in online and offline spaces in China

“…This provides an alternative to face‐to‐face interaction, which used to put them at risk of involuntarily revealing their sexual identities and exposing themselves to stigmatization (Ho, 2010). As shown in the findings, cyberspace also plays a key role in enabling lalas to obtain information about potential paths to family life, such as same‐sex marriage and the availability of assisted reproductive technology (ART) overseas, neither of which have yet been legally permitted in China (Lo, 2020).…”

“…It is almost impossible to decipher lalas' (dis)engagement with queer counterpublics in cyberspace without understanding their ‘relational self’, which is inclined to pursue self‐interest and yet simultaneously strives to meet family expectations and interests in their family‐centred context (Lo, 2020; Qi, 2016). China and other East Asian contexts, such as Japan and Taiwan, share similar Confucian values, which attach great importance to traditional family values and make it difficult for same‐sex relationships to be acknowledged in the family of origin (Brainer, 2019; Khor & Kamano, 2019; Tang, 2020).…”

Unify Religious and Ethnic Identity: Can it be New Approaches for Community Development in Contemporary Muslim China?

“…Community development based on religions is a notable trend in China that influences growing economic development and mobilizing social interactions. Most studies have focused on community development across different geographic spaces: urban, suburban, and rural (Dai, 2016;Ding, 2020;Finley, 2007;Lo, 2020;Sher & Wu, 2018;Xu, 2007). However, a balanced religious perspective as an empowerment model has generally been absent specifically from the discussion.…”