Abstract
When there is resistance, there is power. LGBT-rights activists have been known for creating new identity boundaries and inequalities in their way to normalizing gay people and lesbians. While identity politics is deemed to be a dead-end, this study examines the organizational framing of three pro-LGBT religious groups in Hong Kong, exploring how they strive for an inclusive membership which welcomes diverse social minorities. Drawing on qualitative data from 154 h of participant observation and 18 in-depth interviews, this study depicts how the organizations make use of the common belief of their members to construct an inclusive community. Furthermore, their religious background has granted them financial independence from the non-LGBT civil society, hence allowing them to stand unassimilated to heteronormativity. Past studies on LGBT advocacy have been focused on political groups or activists who are rich in political resources but neglecting the non-political organizations in the civil society. Yet, the pro-LGBT religious organizations in this study demonstrate how their non-political commonality can strategically contribute to the pursuit of equality. It is hoped that the framing experience of these organizations can provide insights into the future path of LGBT identity politics.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barclay, S., Bernstein, M., & Marshall, A. M. (Eds.). (2009). Queer mobilizations: LGBT activists confront the law. New York: New York University Press.
Bernstein, M. (1997). Celebration and suppression: The strategic uses of identity by the lesbian and gay movement. American Journal of Sociology, 103(3), 531–565.
Calvo, K., & Trujillo, G. (2011). Fighting for love rights: Claims and strategies of the LGBT movement in Spain. Sexualities, 14(5), 562–579.
Currier, A. (2010). The strategy of normalization in the South African LGBT movement. Mobilization: An International Quarterly, 15(1), 45–62.
Hajela, D. (2017). Pride and prejudice? Race tinges LGBT celebrations. U.S. News. Retrieved June 11, 2018 from https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/new-york/articles/2017-06-23/at-pride-events-protests-claim-prejudice-exclusion.
Mertus, J. (2007). The rejection of human rights framings: The case of LGBT advocacy in the US. Human Rights Quarterly, 29(4), 1036–1064.
Oldenburg, R. (1999). The great good place: Cafés, coffee shops, bookstores, bars, hair salons, and other hangouts at the heart of a community. New York: Da Capo Press.
Peterson, A., Wahlström, M., & Wennerhag, M. (2017). ‘Normalized’ pride? Pride parade participants in six European countries. Sexualities. https://doi.org/10.1177/1363460717715032.
Robinson, B. A. (2012). Is this what equality looks like? Sexuality Research and Social Policy, 9(4), 327–336.
Soriano, C. R. R. (2014). Constructing collectivity in diversity: Online political mobilization of a national LGBT political party. Media, Culture and Society, 36(1), 20–36.
Stone, A. L. (2010). Diversity, dissent, and decision making: the challenge to LGBT politics. GLQ, 16, 465–472.
To, C. (2004). Towards equality through legal reform: Empowerment and mobilization of the tongzhi (LGBT) community in Hong Kong. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services, 16(1), 65–74.
Wright, S. (2012). From “third place” to “third space”: Everyday political talk in non-political online spaces. Javnost/The Public, 19(3), 5–20.
Acknowledgement
Without the support and guidance of Prof. Susanne Yuk-ping Choi from Department of Sociology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, I would not have finished this study. I am also deeply indebted to my interviewees and every lovely face I met in the field for their help and kindness.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The author declares there is no conflict of interest.
Human and Animal Rights
All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institution under supervision and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendment or comparable ethical standards.
Informed Consent
Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Chan, Pm. Desexualizing Sexual Identity Politics: The Framing of Pro-LGBT Christian Organizations in Hong Kong. Sexuality & Culture 22, 1452–1465 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-018-9537-z
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-018-9537-z