The Effects of Media Usage and Interpersonal Contacts on the Stereotyping of Lesbians and Gay Men in China

Abstract

Relatively little research has investigated the association of information sources and the stereotyping of homosexuals in other cultures. This study is a survey of 226 Chinese college students about their stereotypes of homosexuals and their sources of information on gays and lesbians. The stereotyping of homosexuals is predicted by the size of community, interest in knowing homosexuals, and in-person contacts. A higher level of negative stereotypes is associated with frequent usage of Chinese media.

‘Hidden identities’: perceptions of sexual identity in Beijing

“…Tu and Lee () support this idea and also argue that it is negative representations of LGBT people in all forms of Chinese media which specifically have an enormous impact on public perceptions of LGBT people. By following the stance of government authorities (by promoting the stability and unity of mainstream Chinese society) Chinese media generally denies the existence of the LGBT community, and/or represents the community as abnormal.…”

“…By following the stance of government authorities (by promoting the stability and unity of mainstream Chinese society) Chinese media generally denies the existence of the LGBT community, and/or represents the community as abnormal. The representation of homosexuality as a synonym for abnormality or perversion in the media has created a multitude of negative stereotypes associated with LGBT people (Tu and Lee ); accordingly homosexuality is portrayed as an emerging pathology even though the Chinese Society of Psychiatry removed the categorization of homosexuality under mental illnesses from the ‘Chinese Classification of Mental Disorders’ in 2001 (Jin ; Tu and Lee ). Wu and Jia () and Tu and Lee () argue regardless of this declassification, negative or derogatory themes continue to dominate LGBT‐related stories in Chinese media, and this stigma negatively shapes public perceptions of LGBT people who hide their sexual orientation in public and/or from their family (Chu and MacLeod ; Feng, Wu and Detels ; Li ).…”

“…The representation of homosexuality as a synonym for abnormality or perversion in the media has created a multitude of negative stereotypes associated with LGBT people (Tu and Lee 2015); accordingly homosexuality is portrayed as an emerging pathology even though the Chinese Society of Psychiatry removed the categorization of homosexuality under mental illnesses from the 'Chinese Classification of Mental Disorders' in 2001 (Jin 2003;Tu and Lee 2015). Wu and Jia (2010) and Tu and Lee (2015) argue regardless of this declassification, negative or derogatory themes continue to dominate LGBT-related stories in Chinese media, and this stigma negatively shapes public perceptions of LGBT people who hide their sexual orientation in public and/or from their family (Chu and MacLeod 2010;Feng, Wu and Detels 2010;Li 2002Li , 2007. Neilands et al (2008) argue China's 'Family Planning Policy ' (1978, 1980), also known as the 'one-child policy', is one government regulation that has been instrumental in motivating Chinese LGB people to hide their sexual identity.…”

“…Branigan (), in The Guardian UK online, also argues that Chinese LGBT people face additional oppression since they are frequently targeted by the Chinese government in the censorship of gay books and films, the forced closure of LGBT bars and culture festivals, and the variable intolerance of government and non‐government organizations towards LGBT people and their rights. However, changes in the social, political and legal status of LGBT people in China have meant Chinese authorities have eased their control over some aspects of gay life (Chu and MacLeod ; Li, Holroyd and Lau ; Tu and Lee ; Wei ). For example, in 1997, homosexuality was implicitly decriminalized for gay men when the sodomy laws were removed from legislation underpinning criminal law, and in 2009, the first gay pride festival was held in Shanghai, which was followed by a seven‐day film festival featuring LGBT‐themed films (Human Rights Watch ).…”

“…Regardless of some significant social change, previous research indicates that the nature of the relationship between the authorities and LGBT people in China remains problematic (Bartram ; Hu and Wang ; Wei ). Research by Tu and Lee () found LGBT people across China generally tend to conceal their sexuality due to the lack of legal protection, as well as family and social pressure, and a combination of these factors keeps most Chinese homosexual people in the closet. Individuals who participate in non‐heteronormative and non‐cisnormative identities/activities/behaviours are often punished by the justice system and pursued by the police leaving many LGBT people and their supporters liable to detention and arrest.…”