Ridge D, Hee A, Minichiello V
La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.
J Homosex. 1999;36(3-4):43-68. doi: 10.1300/J082v36n03_03.
This article examines common assumptions behind the notion of "gay community," contrasting these views with the experiences of homosexual men originating from Southeast Asia on the commercial gay scene in Melbourne, Australia. The narratives here reveal fragmented social networks involving various social groups, categories of people and an "In/Out" culture where informants were culturally marginal. Fitting into the scene culture involves processes of assimilation, and loss of connection even with supportive ethnic networks. While all men who look for a place to belong on the scene generally feel pressure to assimilate to a predominantly white middle-class gay culture, Southeast Asian men generally had more cultural distance to cover. Men who are not well assimilated face exclusion, invisibility and discrimination. Differences and discrimination within Southeast Asian based networks also contributed towards fragmented relations. This article raises questions about dominant gay cultural forms, assumptions of gay solidarity, and how ethnic minority men make sense of and negotiate their sexual and social experiences.
本文探讨了“同性恋群体”概念背后的常见假设，并将这些观点与来自东南亚的同性恋男性在澳大利亚墨尔本商业同性恋场所的经历进行了对比。这里的叙述揭示了涉及各种社会群体、人群类别的碎片化社会网络，以及一种“圈内/圈外”文化，在这种文化中，受访者在文化上处于边缘地位。融入场所文化涉及同化过程，甚至会失去与支持性族裔网络的联系。虽然所有在该场所寻求归属感的男性通常都感到有压力去融入以白人中产阶级为主的同性恋文化，但东南亚男性通常需要跨越更大的文化距离。同化程度不佳的男性会面临排斥、被忽视和歧视。基于东南亚的网络内部的差异和歧视也导致了关系的碎片化。本文对占主导地位的同性恋文化形式、同性恋团结的假设，以及少数族裔男性如何理解和协商他们的性经历和社会经历提出了疑问。
