Female Same-Sex Intimate Partner Violence in China

Abstract

Employing a transnational feminist approach of intersectionality, this chapter uses China as a case in point to discuss how systems of the state, culture, family, and gender intersect to sustain the hegemonic system of heteronormativity and create a multiple interlocking predicament for victims of female same-sex intimate partner violence (FSSIPV). Given that most existing research has been conducted in the West, this chapter highlights the importance of contextualization by outlining the distinct sociocultural and institutional factors that shape the experiences of battered lesbians in China. It argues that battered lesbians in China are trapped in a “triple closet”—in the abusive intimate relationship, in the intergenerational family, and in the hegemony of heteronormativity in the society—where they are culturally, institutionally, and socially marginalized. An LGBT cultural-sensitive framework is proposed to identify, intervene, and prevent FSSIPV and to advocate for the rights of LGBT in China.