LGBTQ communication is not my primary research interest. But I find the overlap in theoretical constructions and research methods between the study of LGBTQ communication and the study of minority health (which is my research interest.)

My interests in LGBTQ communication in China and co-culture theory started during a conversation with a doctoral student at Alabama many years ago. We talked about the fact that unlike in the US, the Chinese society is generally more “resistant” toward the LGBTQ communities and some even think being gay is a mental illness. [See our prior study about it]As a result, we studied the coming-out stories of gay men in China. We found the co-culture theory developed by Dr. Mark Orbe was perfect for such a study as the theory describes how marginalized group members (what he calls “co-culture group”) communicate with dominant group members.

We examined Chinese gay men’s coming-out experiences through a narrative analysis of 60 self-reported stories online. It finds that Chinese gay men’s decision to come out, their communication orientations, and the outcomes of their coming out are influenced by traditional Chinese cultural values such as family, marriage, and duty. Assertive assimilation, assertive accommodation, and nonassertive accommodation are the most used communication orientations. The study adds to co-cultural theory by demonstrating that types of social relationships affect the communication orientations adopted, at least in the context of China.

Bie, B., & Tang, L. (2016). Chinese gay men’s coming out narratives: Connecting social relationship to co-cultural theory. Journal of International and Intercultural Communication, 9(4), 351-367. doi: 10.1080/17513057.2016.1142602 [Full article]