By Zu Gan, Class of 2025

On the 27^th of August 2024, the HRC’s Gender Studies Initiative and the CSCC’s Meanings, Identities, and Communities Cluster co-sponsored a workshop and a talk by Hu Ying. Hu Ying is a PhD Candidate in Literary Studies from the Department of English, Linguistics and Theater Studies, National University of Singapore. There were over 50 people and 3 faculty in attendance across both events.

The workshop with students was held informally to encourage lively discussions between the speaker and DKU students. Hu Ying started by sharing his own academic journey. He highlighted how he first started learning about queer theory during his undergraduate studies. This soon morphed into a “learning trouble” for him at graduate school because of the realization that the theories he was learning were the other’s trouble. This led him to seek ways in queering queer theory as well. Besides sharing on his own personal journey, Hu Ying also answered questions from students on life in academia as well as pursuing studies in Singapore.

After the workshop, Hu Ying delivered a talk on “Queering Zhuangzi’s Wuwei Towards a Politics of Spontaneous Life.” He covered a critical exploration of the intersections between queer theory and traditional Chinese philosophy, particularly through the lens of Zhuangzi’s concept of wuwei (non-action). Hu Ying presented a nuanced discussion on how Zhuangzi’s philosophy, with its emphasis on spontaneity, non-interference, and living in accordance with the Dao (the Way), can offer an alternative framework for understanding queer life beyond the confines of neoliberal and liberal social norms.

He started his talk by introducing the combination of “flat refusal” (tangping) with queer liberalism. He explained the meaning of wuwei and applied it to a queer form of life. By using the film “Spring Fever,” he presented queer desire as outside of neoliberal subjectivity and a queer spacetime of wuwei where a life’s social situatedness no longer matters. In addition, he emphasized sexual life through its material texture which is a queer posture of taking things as they are a function of desire.

One of the key points addressed was the idea of a “queer life” that transcended socio-political relevance. He proposed a reimagining of queer existence in a cosmological order that defies conventional Western paradigms. This perspective challenges the Western-centric views of queer theory, suggesting that Zhuangzi’s teachings could lead to a more inclusive and culturally diversified understanding of queer identities.

Hu Ying also raised questions about the potential of wuwei to foster a vision of queer Asia that is liberated from existing subjectivities and socio-political constraints. This idea was further expanded by discussing how wuwei could serve as a means to disrupt the normative frameworks of identity and belonging, offering a way of life that is more fluid, spontaneous, and less bound by rigid categories.

In conclusion, the lecture encouraged a rethinking of queer theory through the lens of Zhuangzi. Hu Ying suggested that such an approach could lead to a richer and more complex understanding of queer existence that is less tied to Western liberalism and more open to diverse cultural interpretations.

Reported by Lia Smith, Class of 2026

This lecture and workshop was a part of the Gender Studies Initiative’s event series. Each event connects gender to a range of topics where gender, sexuality, and feminism are discussed.

On March 29th, 2024 this event brought Professor Frances Hasso from the program in gender, sexuality and feminism at Duke University and 14 event attendees for a discussion of Professor Hasso’s most recent book, Buried in the Red Dirt. This book brings together a myriad of sources to tell a story of life, death, and reproduction, and missing bodies and experiences, during and since the British colonial period in Palestine. The discussion was based upon chapter 3, which focused upon the eugenic practices of both the British and Zionist colonizers of Palestine.

British colonial authorities blamed Palestinians for poverty, hunger, and disease, conveniently sidestepping the harsh realities of colonial extraction. This perspective, deeply rooted in gendered and racialized dynamics, perpetuated inequities in healthcare provision for Palestinians.

Central to the discourse was the exploration of demographic anxieties and eugenicist ideologies that tainted British and Zionist approaches to birth control in Palestine. Despite legal constraints, contraception and abortion emerged as vital methods of birth control for women across all communities, challenging simplistic explanations based solely on religion or culture.

The event unveiled the fallacy of portraying Palestinians as hyper-reproductive, offering a nuanced understanding of their reproductive desires and practices. Contrary to popular belief, Palestinian demographic competition with Jews has been largely irrelevant since 1948, with Palestinian fertility rates shaped by multifaceted factors beyond Zionist anxieties of demographic competition.

DKU faculty and students raises numerous questions throughout the discussions. Many questions tackled methodology, in particular Professor Hasso’s creative use of both archival sources and oral testimonies. Other questions pertained to the modalities of colonial rule, from the level of collaboration/conflict between British and Zionist colonizers, to the ways religious and racial differences were simultaneously deployed by the British to govern Palestine. Finally, questions concerning the contemporary situation in Gaza were raised, such as the differing positions towards the war amongst various Middle East and North African States, to the effect of the war in Gaza on US domestic politics.

Reported by Yixin Gu, Class of 2027

The Gender Studies Initiative hosted this discussion as part of their event series. Its primary subject was feminism.

On February 27th, 2024, Professors Lindsay Mahon Rathnam and Qian Zhu, along with 18 attendees, participated in this enriching dialogue on feminism in the Water Pavilion. The meanings of feminism and feminists were fully discussed in this event.

In terms of the reasons for choosing to be feminists, Professor Zhu explained that feminism encompasses everything related to women’s role, position, and everyday life. This bottom-up perspective is crucial if we are to pursue and achieve social justice. It is about the full flourishing of humanity, and we can always observe multiple feminist movements throughout history, such as those during the post-colonial and colonial periods.

When discussing why we still need feminism, Professor Rathnam emphasized the need to dialectically examine and answer history to better break free from the male-dominated realm. She also mentioned that the question of balancing life and work, which is often posed to outstanding women during interviews, is the most implicit manifestation of gender inequality. Women are capable of doing anything and balancing different aspects of their lives without being predetermined to excel in certain areas or being confined to the realm of reproduction.

Both professors noted that throughout history, for various reasons and through diverse processes and outcomes, feminist movements and feminist culture have always been occurring and developing. This is not a creation of modern Western society but is actually deeply rooted in all diverse world cultures. All cultures are about resilience.

After the presentations by the two professors on their perspectives on feminism, there was a lengthy question and answer session. Participants shared their questions and insights, discussing topics such as extreme male dominance in their upbringing environment, the media’s portrayal of gender, and women in religion. The professors also provided answers and engaged in discussions on these subjects.

One student shared her experience living in an extremely patriarchal and unfriendly country towards women, indicating the prevalence of “male-only” areas, and she couldn’t even gain a basic sense of security. She stressed that for that place, feminism means improving women’s health and wellbeing. Feminism takes different forms and contents globally, in fact, they should not be superior or inferior, and should not be opposed to each other, everything depends on specific environmental and historical factors. These statements derived from the professors.

In the realm of religion, the constraints and exclusion of women in Buddhism are brought up, while the comparison of different religions is also fervently discussed. The term “religious feminism” has sparked interest and discussion. In reality, women have the same religious needs and capabilities as men, and increasingly more people are attempting to re-interpret Buddhist scriptures and classics to give them new meaning, promoting gender equality and women’s liberation.

Either overtly or covertly, through exaltation or denigration, feminism permeates daily existence. Allow women to live the life they choose, despite external and patriarchal influences. For women, it is eternally a crucial global issue.