Title: Mirror Rubbing: A Critical Genealogy of Pre-Modern Chinese Female Same-Sex Eroticism
Abstract: Abstract This article offers a critical genealogy of pre-modern Chinese female same-sex relationships. Through the analysis of the primary source materials in history, fiction, and drama, the author shows that female homosexuality is silenced and suppressed. To Confucianism, female same-sex relationships threaten to exclude men from accessing female sex and keep women away from participating in extending the family line. Even the Daoist theory of sex can be used to discriminate against female homosexuality by denying women the ability to initiate and maintain the cycle of yin-yang interaction in sexual intercourse. There are 2 recurring themes in the male writers' imaginings of female same-sex eroticism. First, heterosexuality is the preferred sexual order, and female same-sex desire arises due to the lack of sexual access to men. Second, heterosexual relationships and intercourse are the norm that female homosexuality aspires to imitate. Keywords: female same-sex relationshipsmale homosexualitybigamous marriageConfucian theory of sex Notes 1. See Hinsch (1990, "Appendix: Lesbianism in Imperial China," pp. 173–178) and Zhang Zaizhou (2001, "Nü Tongxinglian," pp. 724–775). 2. See Lu Jia (1991, p. 2). Unless noted, all translations are mine. 3. See Tuotuo (1956, Vol. 17, chap. 63, pp. 12–13). 4. See Tuotuo (1956, Vol. 17, chap. 63, pp. 12–13). 5. See, for example, the sexual scenes of Bao Dangui and Bian Xiangyu in Gelian huaying (1990, chap. 22, pp. 383–384), Mistress Zhou and Wu in Chirenfu (2003, chap. 3, p. 26), and Jingui and Meiyu in Ding Yaokang's Xu Jinpingmei (2003; [Sequel to the plum in the golden vase], chap. 41, p. 373). All these texts contain the message that female–female sexual intercourse is inherently inferior to male–female sex. 6. There is no definite record on either the author or the date of this classical fiction. Some scholars think the author is Zhang Yun (). The publication of Yujiaoli is late Ming dynasty or early Qing dynasty. 7. Zhang Zaizhou (2001, pp. 730–734), for example, argued that the lesbian relationship between Cui Jianyun and Cao Yuhua is not only erotic, but also physical. 8. Zhang Zaizhou (2001, p. 739) believed that the interest Chen Yun displays in Han Yuan transcends friendship and shows traces of lesbianism. 9. See, for example, Sang's (2003, pp. 46–47) discussion of van Gulik's (1961) view on the issue. 10. Sang (2003) wrote: The assumption about the compatibility between female–female love … and polygamy, or between it and sexual segregation, in traditional China is not exactly something that twentieth-century scholars have conjured out of thin air. Nor is it simply the result of the idealization and exoticization of the cultural other … . The idealization of the function of female–female love/desire in polygamy and the culture of separate spheres is in fact the fantasy of quite a few Chinese literary texts from the late-imperial period. (p. 48) 11. The possibility that women involved in female–female relationships are attracted to men certainly remains because heterosexuality and homosexuality do not necessarily exclude each other in traditional China. 12. For an example of the perception, see Sang's (2003, pp. 49–50) discussion of Li Yu, Pu Songling, and Qing women's tanci fiction. 13. See Gelian huaying (1990, chap. 22, pp. 383–384). 14. For examples of the use of the term mo jing, see Chen CitationSen (2003,chap. 8, p. 107), Xu Ke (1966, "Hongnainai Yufunü ni"), and Tao Wu (1918). 15. See Rupp (2009, pp. 1–2). 16. See Habib (2007, p. 17; pp. 17–18, 69 for an analysis of the terms musaĥiqa, suĥaqiyya, and saĥq). See also Leila Rupp's (2009, pp. 1–2) discussion of the terms saĥq, sihâq, and musâhaqa. 17. The account of fen tao is first seen in Hanfeizi (Han Fei, 2003, "Shuonan," pp. 62–63): Duke Ling of Wei (534–493 B.C.) and his court favorite, Mizi Xia, are walking in a garden one day when Mizi Xia picks a peach and starts eating it. He finds it quite delicious, so he stops eating and offers the remaining half to Duke Ling to enjoy. Duke Ling is very pleased, and praises Mizi Xia's faithful love to him.Zhanguoce (1978, Weice, part 4, Vol. 2, p. 917) tells the story of Sir Longyang weeping over fish (Longyang qiyu): Longyang is a court favorite of the Duke of Wei. He and the Duke are fishing on a boat. After they catch a dozen fish, Sir Longyang starts weeping. At the Duke's inquiry, he explains that at first he is very happy catching fish. Later on, when catching bigger fish, however, his attitude toward the smaller fish changes. He feels like throwing them away. This leads him to think about the Duke's undivided favor that he is currently enjoying. There are plenty of beauties in the state of Wei. He is worried that his lord will abandon him in the same way he wants to discard the small fish once the Duke finds new subjects to favor. To reassure Longyang, the Duke issues a decree that forbids anybody to offer him beauties.Duan xiu refers to the intimacy between Emperor Ai (reign 6 B.C.–1 A.D.) and court favorite, Dong Xian. The emperor is taking a nap with Dong Xian, who is stretched out across the emperor's sleeve. When the emperor needs to get up, Dong Xian is still asleep. Not wanting to wake him up, Emperor Ai cuts off his own sleeve and leaves (Ban Gu, 1991, "Dongxian Liezhuan," chap. 93, pp. 1194–1196). Like the expressions "sharing a peach" and "Longyang weeps over fish," "cutting a sleeve" becomes a familiar allusion to homosexuality.
Publication Year: 2013
Publication Date: 2013-04-17
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref', 'pubmed']
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Cited By Count: 3
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