Transgender China

by Howard Chiang (Editor)

This volume brings together experts with diverse disciplinary backgrounds in the China field, from cultural studies to history to musicology, to make a timely intervention―from the historical demise of enuchism to male cross-dressing shows in contemporary Taiwan―to inaugurate a subfield in Chinese transgender studies.

Genres: China, Nonfiction, Gender, Academic

313 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Eleanor! · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I found all of the discourse very interesting, several of the contributors to this volume seem to misunderstand exactly what it is that the word 'transgender' means. Many of the contributors have interpreted a discussion on 'transgender' China to be rather a discussion on 'gender-nonconforming/non-cisgender' China, an understandable but still significant conflation. As Susan Stryker discusses in the afterword to this volume, it is important to acknowledge the real cultural differences of the conception of gender between China and the West, as well as the difficulty surrounding imposing modern social identities on past peoples; however, when it comes to something that, at least for me, as clearly defined as 'transgender' (namely, identifying with a gender not that assigned at birth), much of the discussion herein seems genuinely problematic.

Chiang's discussion of castration is interesting, but despite the loss of the penis, these are all still men who *identify* as cisgender men. The inclusion of Burton-Rose's and Zhou's discussions on androgyny makes little sense, because although this *is* 'gender nonconformity' in terms of *our* modern conception of gender, none of these people appear to identify outside of being cisgender. Alvin Ka Hin Wong seems to have entirely misunderstood the topic, discussing not people who are transgender, but rather 'transgender' as being *transgressing* gender. A related topic, but one approached in an extremely problematic way, most explicitly in the appropriation of in-group identifiers (particularly from lesbians) to define different 'types' of 'transgender.'

Several contributors have also discussed the phenomenon of a cis male actor playing a female character (or vice versa), or a cis actor playing a non-human character disguised as human as being somehow transgender. And, lastly, several have conflated cross-dressing as being transgender. While some of the cross-dressers discussed were noted as being 'transsexual,' the majority were explicitly cisgender men. The conflation between cis male cross-dressing and transgender identity is a dangerous confusion, one which implies that people who are actually transgender and people who cross-dress are the same (that cis men who sometimes dress as women are the same as actual transgender women), cross-dressers are just as oppressed/at risk as transgender people--not only incredibly wrong, but also blatantly offensive.

There were some contributors whose discussions were very topical for a book called 'Transgender China,' particularly from Heinrich and Cheung. Nevertheless, this volume was immensely disappointing for one seeking an actual discussion on transgender people in China--particularly one associated so closely with such a notable trans scholar as Susan Stryker--and not one I would recommend to someone interested in transgender studies relating to China.

[Lotus (Yang Yu) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I agree with another user’s comment: this is an area that needs more scholarship.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book, interesting compilation of essays, and really an area that needs more scholarship, but the writing is so bogged down with queer studies, po-mo buzzwords that it's a struggle to read, even if you are used to academic writing.