'Wandering men' no longer wander around: the production and transformation of local homosexual identities in contemporary Chengdu, China

This paper focuses on the production and transformation of homosexual identities in Chengdu under the background of Chinese society in transition. From a constructionist perspective, l complicate the identity construction process by examining the interaction of three male homosexual identities found in the local context - piao piao, tongzhi, and gay. While gay men in present-day Chengdu often use piao piao, tongzhi, and gay interchangeably, these terms entail different cultural references and political connotations. I argue that the piao piao identity serves as a critical linkage between the traditional imagination of male homosexuality and the modern gay identities, while the tongzhi identity facilitates the shift of Chinese homosexuality from behavior to identity, and contributes to the development of gay communities in present-day China.