Abstract
An under-researched aspect of transgender sex workers in China pertains to their desires and expressions of femininity. Male-to-Female (MTF) transgender sex workers are a high-risk population prone to depression and stress regarding body image, intimate relationships marked by violence, and social stigma, rendering them vulnerable to hate crimes and discrimination. Ethnographic data from in-depth interviews with 49 MTF transgender sex workers indicate that sex, gender and feminine desire are mutable in the construction of self and subjectivity. This study uses the conceptual framework of gender performativity, that is, gender is performative and distinct from physical bodies and binary classifications. It is not only an individual’s normative gender expressions which are based on the sex assigned at birth, but it also reinforces the normative gender performances of the gender binary. This article argues that the 49 MTF transgender sex workers are embodiments of gendered performances, displaying femininity to ameliorate hate crimes and discrimination as well as reinforce the masculinity and sexuality of their clients and intimate sex partners. Embracing their femininity constitutes a self-help program, enabling them to build self-confidence and develop a positive self-image in the face of overwhelming social disapproval.
Highlights
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations
The gender performativity provides a useful lens to rethink the issues faced by TSWs, and how they negotiate their own femininity with their clients and intimate sex partners while avoiding hate crimes, public stigma and discrimination
The notion of femininity performed by TSWs is inscribed on bodies but not associated with their sex at birth
Summary
The author first met Lily (27), a male-to-female (MTF) transgender sex worker (hereafter, TSW/TSWs) in summer 2017, at her stage show in a high-end bar in Tianjin She is tall and slender, with alluring make up and costumes. Her performance demands she wears dramatic makeup to match the five-inch stiletto heels, long voluminous hair, and tight spandex clothing. Blending an array of Chinese pop tunes and Western stars such as Lady GaGa, she shows her versatility with some Chinese opera, complete with heavy makeup and traditional Chinese evening gowns She says, Being feminine makes me happy and is the right thing for me as a transgender woman
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