Constructing Queerness in Vietnam : Essentialism, Homonormativity, and Social Hierarchy

The article is based on a qualitative research that focused on the way in which young Vietnamese queers construct their identities and social relationships. The interview data used in the study suggest that most interviewees strongly conform to gender/sexual norms and conceptualize their identities through essentialism. Such conformity leads to the regulation of gender behaviours and romantic relationships in this community, and contributes to a lack of solidarity among different queer groups. The research demonstrates the mechanism through which a social hierarchy based on norms of class and homonormativity emerges in this queer community. Worth noting is that the identity formation and identity politics of these young people also reflect the different values originating from Vietnam’s previous colonial contact with both the West and the East