This book explores the ways in which homophobia is produced, manifested, and perpetuated in Mainland China and Taiwan and how queer people and their families comply with, resist, and, at times, disrupt the discriminatory system.

Through in-depth interviews and detailed ethnographic fieldwork, it offers fascinating insights into the past and present experiences of queer individuals living in Mainland China and Taiwan, painting a comprehensive picture of the challenges posed by living as a sexual minority in a society dominated by Confucian values such as filial piety and the continuation of the family line. Incorporating narratives from Mainland Chinese and Taiwanese heterosexuals, it provides an account not only of the lived experiences of sexual minorities but also of how society makes sense of sexual diversity and how it perpetuates the homophobic cycle.

As such, it will appeal to scholars of sociology, anthropology, and Asian Studies with interests in gender and sexuality.

Emmanuele Lazzara holds a PhD in Sociology and an MA in Research Methods and Contemporary Chinese Studies from the University of Nottingham. Having lived and worked in Mainland China and Taiwan, his research sits at the intersection of sociology, Chinese studies, and gender and sexuality, with particular interests in identity, social discrimination, normativity, and marginalised communities.

Gareth Shaw is an independent researcher affiliated with the National Coalition of Independent Scholars. He holds a PhD in sociology, and his research focuses on gender, sexuality, and discourse in China and Taiwan, with particular attention to LGBTQ+ communities and online discursive spaces.