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Cited by 18Gender and Feminist StudiesLGBTQ Health, Identity, and PolicyGender, Feminism, and Media

Loving strangers, avoiding risks: Online dating practices and scams among Chinese lesbian ( lala ) women

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Tao, Han·2022·Media, Culture & Society
DOI 10.1177/01634437221088952
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Abstract

The proliferating online social networking sites have created opportunities for Chinese queer women to meet new friends and lovers; yet, research on lesbian online dating in mainland China is scarce compared to heterosexual and gay online dating. This article investigates lesbian/ lala women’s online dating experiences in the context of economic reforms and the trust crisis in urban China. It is based on 16 in-depth interviews and ethnographic fieldwork in Guangdong from June 2018 to July 2019. It focuses on two digital platforms: Douban Group and WeChat. This article explores how online anonymity and stranger sociality shaped queer women’s moral practices regarding turning virtual strangers into real-life partners. Queer women in this research expressed concerns about being cheated by low quality( suzhi) lovers, swindlers, and married women. This article suggests that the emerging online stranger sociality has both enabled and constrained lesbian/ lala women’s practice of seeking loving relationships, while they must internalize the potential risks by themselves.

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Crossref · 10.1177/01634437221088952

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  • There has been a growing number of romance scammers targeting younger lesbian and 'lala' women in China.

    “More recently, there has been a growing number of romance scammers targeting younger lesbian and 'lala' women (defined as 'a loose term referring to lesbian, bisexual and transgender women who are attracted by women') in China (Tao, 2022).”

    From Tainted Love: a Systematic Literature Review of Online Romance Scam Research (2023) · cites this paper as Tao, 2022

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Authors
Tao, H.
Affiliations
University of Sussex (GB)
Corresponding author
Tao, Han
ORCID
Tao, Han
Venue
Media, Culture & Society
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Published
2022-04-12
Volume
44
Issue
6
Pages
1199-1214
ISSN
  • 0163-4437 (ISSN-L)
  • 1460-3675
DOI
10.1177/01634437221088952
OpenAlex
W4223416708
Cited by
18
References
34
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 1
FWCI
4.49
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
Media Culture & Society (publishedVersion, cc-by)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Gender and Feminist Studies
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy
  • Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Gender, Feminism, and Media
Keywords
lesbians, online dating, online fraud, Lala, queer women, online anonymity, trust, WeChat, economic reform, Guangdong, mainland China, romantic relationships, swindlers

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