“Female Same-Sex Hatred”: Reimagining Queer Female Relationships in Chinese Popular Culture

In Chinese popular culture, queer female relationship is often depicted as lesbianism (女同性恋). However, the recent popularity of the term "female same-sex hatred" (女同性恨) on Chinese social media updates and complicates (if not subverts) this narrative. This term originates from fan discussions about pairing the two female characters Zhen Huan and An Lingrong in one of China's most popular TV drama Empresses in the Palace. Unlike other discussions on same-sex pairings that emphasize romantic relationships, fans view Zhen Huan and An Lingrong as embodying "female same-sex hatred", a complex relationship characterized by emotional connections intertwined with admiration, affection, antagonism, resentment, and even persecution. Through a critical discourse analysis of online discussions about the "female same-sex hatred" between Zhen Huan and An Lingrong, this paper argues that "female same-sex hatred" not only challenges heteronormative dominance but also broadens the imagination of female same-sex desires.

Presenter:

Dr. Egret Lulu Zhou is an assistant professor and associate head in the Department of Literature and Cultural Studies at the Education University of Hong Kong. Her research interests encompass television drama, celebrity and fandom, gender and age. She has received the Early Career Scheme (2018-2020) and the General Research Fund (2021-2024) from the Hong Kong Research Grants Council. Her articles have appeared in the European Journal of Cultural Studies, Critical Studies in Television: The International Journal of Television Studies, and Adaptation: Journal of Literature on Screen Studies. She and her PhD student co-authored the first monograph specifically on Hong Kong television dramas: The Sun Also Rises: Hong Kong Television Dramas and Mainland-Hongkong Relations (2024, in Chinese).