Sexual Citizenship and Democracy: LGBT engagement in Hong Kong Umbrella Movement

• In Event: 380 - Section on Sociology of Sexualities Refereed Roundtable Session and Business Meeting
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 04. Movement and Politics

Abstract

Throughout the 2014 Hong Kong Umbrella movement, citizenship played crucial roles for HongKongers to demand democracy. However, citizenship is historically heteronormative while sexual minorities are excluded from civil rights and duties. With the ideology of liberation and equality in democratic movements, what are the constraints and agency LGBT individuals faced in exercising both their sexual and political citizenship? What are the challenges and opportunities for building alliances between LGBT movements and democratic movement in an LGBT-unfriendly city?

Drawing on interviews with sexual minorities and ethnography in occupying zones, this study aims to study the exclusion-inclusion process of LGBT individuals in democratic movement and the linkage between sexual-based politic and democratic issues. It was found different from traditional protests with single goals and clear leadership, the unique characteristics of decentralization and prefigurative communities in occupying provided opportunities for the expression of intersectional identities. Heteronormative masculinity were challenged as two influential male student leaders were framed as Boy’s Love couples by netizens while Pride Parade was organized with the slogan,’ No democracy. No equality!’ But, on the micro level, LGBT individuals still faced constraints from other democratic activists and homophobic society. Under the ‘moral supremacy’ framing in order to maximize mobilization and garner bystanders supports, LGBT individuals even suffered from extra stigma of ‘polluting’ the democratic movements. Dilemma are faced by both LGBT individuals’ participation and the alliance between LGBT activism and democratic movement. This paper contributes theoretically to the understanding of the intersection of sexual identity with citizenship in democratic movement.

Author

• Miu Yin Eliz Wong, The Chinese University of Hong Kong