Shanghai Lalas: Female Tongzhi Communities and Politics in Urban China

Profiles of Key Informants

I conducted formal, semi-structured and recorded interviews with twentyfive informants from 2005 to 2010. Informants’ personal information such as education, residence of natal family and occupation are altered for the sake of confidentiality. All names of key and supplementary informants quoted in this book are pseudonyms. General Profile The key informants of my research in Shanghai were self-identified lala women active in the lala communities in Shanghai. Their ages ranged from early twenties to mid-forties. All of them were ethnic Chinese and citizens of the People’s Republic of China. All of them were urban residents. All but eight informants were not natives of Shanghai. At the time of interview, they were either working or studying in Shanghai. They were women who were in various degrees active within the local lala communities in Shanghai. Nearly all of them had white-collar jobs (or have had white-collar jobs but were studying for a second degree at the time of interview), or were self-employed. A few of them were staying in the city temporarily (for example, for study), and a few worked in nearby cities and came to Shanghai regularly either for home visits or social gatherings. Five of them were married, of whom two had children of their own. One of the five married informants was in a cooperative marriage with a gay partner. Two of the unmarried informants were planning cooperative marriages at the time of interview. Individual Profiles Bai, early twenties. Postgraduate education. A Shanghai native with an extended network of relatives in Shanghai. Not in marriage. Lived with her girlfriend. Had a white-collar job in a private firm and was a lesbian filmmaker. Took part in social gatherings of the local lala communities. Profiles of Key Informants 114 Profiles of Key Informants Chris, early thirties. University graduate. A Shanghai native with an extended network of relatives in Shanghai. Was planning a cooperative marriage. Lived with parents before marriage and would move in with her girlfriend after marriage. Had a white-collar job in a private firm. Took part in social gatherings of the local lala communities. Coral, mid-thirties. Postgraduate education. Came from Northern China and had no family members in Shanghai. In a heterosexual marriage. Lived with her girlfriend and was enrolled in a postgraduate course in a local university . Husband knew she had extra-marital relationship but did not know it is a woman. Had private contact with lala friends in the local communities, but seldom participated in group gatherings. Fish, mid-thirties. University graduate. A Shanghai native with an extended network of relatives in Shanghai. Not in marriage. Owned an apartment and lived with her girlfriend who was in a heterosexual marriage. A high-income professional. Had private contact with lala friends in the local communities, but seldom participated in group gatherings. Grace, early thirties. University graduate. A Shanghai native. Not in marriage. Lived with her girlfriend. Self-employed. Had private contact with lala friends in the local communities, but seldom participated in group gatherings. Heng, mid-thirties. Secondary education. A Shanghai native with an extended network of relatives in Shanghai. In a heterosexual marriage with a child. Lived with her husband and child. Had a girlfriend in another city. Husband and her had reached an agreement to open up their marriage and had extra-marital relationships. Self-employed. Had private contact with lala friends in the local communities, but seldom participated in group gatherings. Jay, early thirties. University graduate. A Shanghai native. Not in marriage. Lived with her girlfriend. Self-employed. Had private contact with lala friends in the local communities, but seldom participated in group gatherings. Jenny, mid-twenties. University graduate. A Shanghai native with an extended network of relatives in Shanghai. Not in marriage. Lived with parents. Was in a relationship with a local woman. A professional. Had private contact with lala friends in the local communities, but seldom participated in group gatherings. Ling, late twenties. University graduate. A Shanghai native with an extended network of relatives in Shanghai. In a cooperative marriage. Lived with parents before marriage and with her long-term girlfriend after marriage. Had a whitecollar job. Took part in social gatherings of the local lala communities. Profiles of Key Informants 115 Liu, early thirties. Post-secondary education. A Shanghai native with an extended network of relatives in Shanghai. Not in marriage. Had been in many relationships with women, and was...