Contemporary Drag Queen Culture in Beijing: Transnationalism in a Chinese Space

Beijing has become site to a bourgeoning gay social network in nightlife, particularly through drag performance venues. The specific representations of drag queen performance, however, lack broader ethnographic analysis. This... [ view full abstract ]

Beijing has become site to a bourgeoning gay social network in nightlife, particularly through drag performance venues. The specific representations of drag queen performance, however, lack broader ethnographic analysis. This project explores three questions: (1) What are the opinions of Chinese drag queens in Beijing towards their gay identities and roles? (2) How do they relate themselves and their performances to the expression of gender and gender differences in contemporary China? (3) What are the implications of American influence on Beijing drag? Drawing on original field data and individual interviews, I present narratives of four Chinese gay men with connections to drag. Observations were done in gay nightlife spaces during drag events. The majority of the participants’ responses showed profound influence from Westernized media and transnational thought concerning gayness and drag. These participants also expressed understandings of the Chinese gay self-identity and tongzhi politics as evolving. The participants articulated their identities with awareness of both transnational and Chinese elements. This research found that Beijing drag culture intricately balances US and Chinese influences. These findings, although restricted by a small availability of respondents, demonstrate the changing social atmosphere of drag queen identity in Beijing and show the necessity for analysis of minority gay cultures in China. Beijing drag culture is on the rise and requires further academic and ethnographic attention. Continued research on the specifics of what Chinese drag consists of holds the potential for greater insight into this nightlife sociality and into variable gay identities in China.