Is there a Japanese 'gay identity'?

Abstract

This paper investigates the widespread representation of (mainly male) homosexuality in a variety of Japanese popular cultural media. Generally, representation of homosexuality in Japan is situated in the 'entertainment world' and male homosexuality, in particular, is often conflated with transsexuality and transgenderism. Discussion of homosexuality as a 'lifestyle choice' or in terms of 'sexual rights' is extremely rare, even in the Japanese gay media. It is suggested that media discourses about homosexuality, which conflate it with transsexuality, work against same-sex desiring men in Japan developing a politicized sense of 'gay identity'. Interview data from Japanese men as well as material gathered from the gay media are used to reflect on Altman's notion of 'global queering' and to question the argument put forward by some Western gay and lesbian theorists that 'gay identity' is something Japanese homosexuals 'lack', and should therefore develop.