Chinese medicine as a cure for gayness: Satire as countercultural resistance against heteronormative symbolic violence in the digital public sphere

Abstract

One significant outcome of the heteronormative symbolic violence experienced by Chinese gay people is their symbolic erasure from public discourse. Such symbolic violence is sustained by state-sponsored heteronormative ideology, adding to the weight gender minorities have to bear under non-authoritarian political contexts. Since late 2022, a novel form of resistance has gained popularity wherein gay people post and widely circulate videos that mockingly boast the idea of taking traditional Chinese medicine to “cure” their deviant sexuality on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok. This study discusses how Chinese gay people use satire to make themselves, their critique of state propaganda for traditional Chinese medicine, and disdain for heteronormative culture visible in the highly censored digital environment, thereby countering the symbolic violence that silences the gay community in public life. The analysis also invites reflection on the role and impact of satire as a tool of digital resistance.

Keywords

heteronormativity symbolic violence satire traditional Chinese medicine gay

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