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DPU Working Paper - No. 217
Patriarchy and heteronormativity in East Asia: drivers of lesbian exclusion from queer bars.
1 September 2024
By Huanyue Li, Urban Development Planning MSc
Abstract
In East Asian societies, queer bars have emerged as pivotal spaces for the queer community to counter heteronormative spaces and realize identity expression. However, amidst this growth, lesbians find themselves conspicuously marginalized under the dual influences of patriarchy and heteronormativity.
This working paper delves deeply into the intricate interplay between patriarchy and heteronormativity, and their impact on the visibility of lesbians within queer bars in East Asian societies. Through Critical Discourse Analysis, this study showcases how heteronormative and patriarchal forces create economic and urban barriers in urban spaces and familial pressures in domestic realms, thereby hindering lesbians from accessing queer spaces.
The research also reveals how heteronormativity and patriarchy construct inequitable power relations within queer and lesbian bars, excluding a segment of lesbians. Lastly, the study identifies subtle rebellion and direct challenges as strategies employed by lesbians to gain visibility in heterosexual patriarchal societies. In unearthing these complexities, this research not only challenges Western-centric paradigms but also emphasizes the specific and unique exclusions faced by East Asian lesbian women.
Through this exploration, the dissertation aims to offer a substantial contribution to the global discourse on homosexuality, providing a region-specific perspective that broadens the understanding of factors that unequally marginalize lesbians.
Image: Queer bar in Hong Kong. Source: The Pontiac (2024)
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