18/10/2024

Panel – Making feminism Chinese, but overseas: Chinese feminist activism in the UK

 

On 18/10/2024, I attended a panel discussion at King’s College featuring London-based Chinese diaspora feminists and LGBTQ groups members. The panel explored how these groups differ from Western feminist activism, their political impacts, and their potential to foster solidarity within global feminist movements.

 

Several key points during the discussion drew my attention. One was the emergence of community empowerment through UK based queer groups such as VaChina. It is exciting to have these groups here to create a sense of belonging among Chinese LGBTQ+ individuals. However, one of the guest speakers highlighted significant challenges these groups are facing. For instance, language barriers, cultural differences and limited visibility may lead to the cause of why they are feeling isolated. Moreover, these organisations are largely rely on the efforts of their members’ action and receiving very limited support from the UK government or other institutions. 

 

Despite the low visibility, the persistence of these groups is inspiring. As Sara Ahmed noted, “When you have to fight for an existence, fighting can become an existence.” (Ahmed, 2017, p.175) To them, every action taken in the fight for the rights, no matter how small they are, draws attention and increase visibility. This demonstrates the power of resilience in challenging systemic oppression.

 

Towards the end of the discussion, a reminder to the audience from the host unexpectedly struck me the most. She urged the audience not to post or share any pictures of the event on social media if they included images of the speakers. This caution underscored the reality faced by the activists. On one hand, they are fighting tirelessly for true freedom; on the other hand, their ability to live freely remains constrained by their identities and origins. This situation reminds me of Ahmed’s words, “Queer and feminist worlds are built through the effort to support those who are not supported because of who they are, what they want, what they do.” (idem., p.48) This resonates deeply with me, prompting me to consider how I might contribute to their cause through my art.

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Reference:

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Ahmed, S. (2017) ‘Part 3’, in Living a Feminist Life. New York, USA: Duke University Press, pp. 175–175. 

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King’s College London (2024) Panel – making feminism Chinese, but overseas: Chinese feminist activism in the UK, King’s College London. Available at: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/events/chinese-feminist-activism (Accessed: 15 October 2024).