NEWS
2026.01.22
【Report】The 85th AJI Frontier Seminar was held! Ms. OUYANG Shanshan “A Sociological Study on the Intersection of Disability and Sexuality: Focusing on the Experiences of Disabled Queer People in Taiwan”
On January 13, 2026, the 85th AJI Frontier Seminar was held. This time, Ms. OUYANG Shanshan (Doctoral Candidate, Graduate School of Core Ethics and Frontier Sciences, Ritsumeikan University) made a presentation titled “A Sociological Study on the Intersection of Disability and Sexuality: Focusing on the Experiences of Disabled Queer People in Taiwan.”
She specializes in sociology, with a particular focus on the intersection of sexuality and disability. While Queer Studies and Disability Studies have developed mainly within Western contexts, her research highlights the lived experiences and cultural/political landscapes of East Asian countries, particularly Taiwan and Japan, where identities of disability and sexual minority intersect.
What kinds of strategies and forms of communication have “disabled, sexual minorities” (身障同志; shenzhang tongzhi) deployed for their rights and gaining public recognition? For instance, just as the term “queer” was once disparagingly used, but was converted into a positive identity, and as the movement of the disabled people in western countries redefined the term “crip,” which was once a derogatory word against the disabled, to challenge social norms. “disabled, sexual minorities” in Taiwan coined the term “Disabled＋Queer” (残酷児; cankuer) to express their intersecting identities. In Chinese-speaking regions, “残” means “disability,” and “酷児” is used for “queer.” The word “残酷” (cruelty) originally had a negative meaning. Still, through their activism, “disabled, sexual minorities” have reinterpreted it to highlight the other meaning of “酷,” which is “coolness,” and used it for their resistance to social norms. This unique redefinition in local practice has emerged from culture and language in Taiwan.
Along with the process of gaining recognition in the public sphere, Ms. Ouyang also focused on the meaning of recognition in Taiwan's familistic culture, which is the proper context for East Asia. According to her, in Taiwan, communication for approval takes place in a context called the “coming-home” model, unlike in Western societies, where people conflict with dominant values through the “coming-out” model. In the “coming-home” model, the people involved do not necessarily declare their gender identity directly. Instead, they develop a relationship with their family members through a kind of detouring strategy, such as introducing partners, discussing topics that do not foreground sexuality, and seeking social independence while accepting gender identity and disability. In this way, people with disabilities and sexual minorities in Taiwan have developed practices to reconsider “normal” gender perceptions through such means as changing the meaning of stigmatizing words in public and private spaces, and communication strategies in a family-oriented culture.
In the Q&A session after the presentation, participants posed questions about the success and failure of the “coming-home” strategy, the situation in other parts of Asian societies, and the interviewing method in her research. Ms. Ouyang responded politely and enthusiastically to each question, which made the discussion very lively.
Ms. Ouyang Shanshan delivering her presentation
Please visit the following link for previous AJI Frontier Seminars:
https://en.ritsumei.ac.jp/research/aji/young_researcher/seminar/archive/