Literature Review on "Japanese Queer"

Literature Review 5 pages (1425 words) Sources: 1

[EXCERPT] . . . .

McLelland (2000) offers some opinions on how the problem can be navigated and transcended. For one, Western media allows for the development of a "gay media" that embraces multiple identities and lifestyles. A heterogeneous "gay" culture has emerged whereby individuals can safely and successfully express themselves. Such a heterogeneous media does not exist, at least yet, in Japan. There is no "gay media" in the same sense; only eroticisms capitalizing on gay and transgender imagery, and those images are likely not to be controlled by what would be otherwise members of a gay community. In the same way that African-Americans and women are manipulated in the media by whites and men, gays and lesbians are also manipulated and lack control over their own identities, cultures, and expressions in Japan.

It is not necessarily beneficial for individual or society to overly politicize homosexuality. As McLelland (2000) notes, recent analysts claim that politicizing gay media has created a conformist mentality. Persons who come out of the closet are expected to conform to certain ideals and exist within the boundaries of the gay community rather than having gayness being one part of a multifaceted and complex individual identity. McLelland (2000) welcomes belief in fluid identities, and identities that are formed organically out of their culture of origin. In Japan, there may not be a need for gay media or gay community in the Western sense. To think otherwise could represent a new and ironic form of cultural imperialism.

McLelland's (2000) research in Japan consisted mainly of interviews and surveys with same-sex desiring men. The author refuses to label same-sex desiring men as "homosexual" because the word has Western identity connotations that are distinct from Japanese identity connotations and this is the crux of the argument. McLelland's (2000) interview subjects indicated a high degree of ambiguity regarding sexual orientation. They are men who desire other men, but who do not mind the idea of marriage to a woman within the construct of Japanese social harmony and tradition. Many of the men actively do not like to be identified as "gay," which would be deemed "closeted" by a Westerner. Indeed, the dual consciousness and problematic lifestyles are replete with potential deceptions of self and other. This is precisely why McLelland's (2000) article is important. Some view the current state of affairs in Japan as problematic because being "gay" should not be viewed as something socially undesirable. Moreover, the fact that same-sex desiring men in Japan view marriage as a meaningful social institution is a strongly sexist and patriarchal construct. The woman's desire and feelings are not a consideration. The man wants a socially acceptable family, and it matters not to him that he does not want to sleep with his wife.

At the same time, Japanese culture offers a degree of socially deviant yet flexible alternatives to hetero-normative marriage. McLelland (2000) mentions the increasing number of both straight and lesbian women willing to marry gay men to start a family in a mutually beneficial relationship. If both partners are aware of their own sexual desires, then no one is being deceived and everybody wins: sexual desire is fulfilled without adultery, and Japanese customs are upheld.

The fetishization and irrational stereotyping of gay and lesbian sexualities is problematic, from the point-of-view that it rips control away from the very people who have same-sex attractions. Furthermore, Japanese society has a patriarchal undercurrent that disallows egalitarian partnerships in marriages. There is also an emerging trend in Japanese culture, due to globalization and Western influence, toward embracing the "gay liberation" Western model. McLelland (2000) mentions the group OCCUR in particular as representing a political organization working to ensure social and political rights for gays and lesbians.

McLelland's (2000) article reflects and captures the complexities and ambiguities in Japanese society. On the one hand, cultural relevance and cultural sensitivity are important to maintain. It is unfair to project Western ideals onto non-Western cultures. On the other hand, it is fruitful to raise awareness and offer Japanese individuals the opportunity to explore options of personal and community identity. Ultimately, it will be up to Japanese people to create alternative categories and social norms… READ MORE

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