Men in Mixed-Orientation Marriages in Contemporary China: Unpacking the Role of Heteronormativity and Patriarchy

Abstract

This qualitative study based on 34 in-depth interviews (IDIs) with cis-gendered tongzhi (men who are attracted to men) critically explores the factors influencing their decisions to enter mixed-orientation marriages (MOMs) in China. Theoretically, the study weaves together insights from queer and feminist theorizing and analyzes the role of heteronormativity and patriarchy, especially in relation to hegemonic masculine ideals, in the context of marriage norms in contemporary China. Our examination showcases the contradictory role heteronormativity and patriarchy play in simultaneously marginalizing and privileging these groups of men along the axes of sexual, gender, and lineage (inter-generational) hierarchies. It also underscores the continued role of filial piety norms. Overall, the study contributes to deepening our understanding of the complex nature of MOMs and discussions of MOMs as marriage fraud. We argue that examining these non-normative marriages furthers explication of the social structures underpinning gender and sexuality in a context of patriarchal marriage-normative societies.

The Chinese Internalized Binegativity Scale: Measure development and cultural adaptation.

“…Furthermore, family shame was a salient factor for bisexual people living in Chinese culture. Research has shown that Chinese bisexual people experience moral oppression and parental expectation to maintain a mixed-gender marriage and have offspring to prevent shaming one’s personal and family’s reputation (Ren et al, 2019; Song et al, 2023). Although the family shame factor may reflect anticipation or reporting of actual familial reactions, Chinese bisexual people can internalize these oppressive messages about family to different degrees.…”