When Chinese Tongqi Talk: A Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis of Tongqi Narratives

This article offers new insights into gender studies through an analysis of the discourse surrounding gay-related issues on one of China’s popular online discussion platforms, tongqiba (tongqi forum). The study analyses 61 posts written in 2023 by tongqi – heterosexual wives of gay men – focusing on their experiences of marital and social life. A feminist critical discourse study method was then applied to examine these online narratives involving both gay men and tongqi. The findings indicate that self-presentations and other-representations in tongqi discourse are multifaceted and can be thematically grouped. Three predominant themes emerged: (1) tongqi living under conventionalised traditions, (2) tongqi resisting painful experiences in fraudulent marriages, and (3) tongqi essentialising gay husbands through masculinity and sexual performance. The article further discusses the socio-cultural implications of these themes for understanding gender relations and marital dynamics in contemporary China.