Articles by Helen Hok-Sze Leung
BC Studies, 2018
Initiated by Simon Fraser University (SFU)’s Institute for Transpacific Cultural Research (ITCR),... more Initiated by Simon Fraser University (SFU)’s Institute for Transpacific Cultural Research (ITCR), this roundtable discussion amongst cultural studies researchers from parts of Asia, Australia, and Canada reflects on the “minor transpacific” as an alternative regional imaginary that provides new reference points and collaborative opportunities for research. The roundtable participants discuss “transpacific” as an analytic and how the notion is inflected by their experiences of living and working from “minor” locations. They also reflect on their experiences visiting, working, or living in Vancouver, B.C., and how their conversations with scholars based in the B.C region, their exposure to regional histories and debates, and their participation in local activities connect to their own transpacific trajectories, both personally and intellectually.
Co-edited by Christine Kim and Helen Hok-Sze Leung
Co-authored by Phanuel Antwi, Nadine Attewell, Beng Huat Chua, John Nguyet Erni, Christine Kim, Joanne Leow, Helen Hok-Sze Leung, Jia Tan,
Chih-ming Wang, and Audrey Yue
Inter-Asia Cultural Studies, 2017
This article examines the contested relation between discourses of ethnic subjectivity and queer ... more This article examines the contested relation between discourses of ethnic subjectivity and queer critique of homophobia and transphobia in Vancouver, a transpacific city in Canada that is being touted as “the most Asian city outside of Asia.” I analyse the perceived association of Chinese communities with moral conservatism and the concomitant existence of a vibrant queer Asian cultural scene in the city as a discursive clash between two cultural publics. I examine the underlying dynamics of their antagonism as well as their potential for mutual engagement.
Contemporary Culture and Media in Asia. Koichi Iwabuchi, Olivia Khoo and Daniel Black, eds. Lanham, MD: Roman and Littlefield, 2016. 31-48.
Analyzes Vancouver as a transpacific film location with a case study of production company Holida... more Analyzes Vancouver as a transpacific film location with a case study of production company Holiday Pictures.
The last decade has witnessed the emergence and consolidation of new and established gay cities i... more The last decade has witnessed the emergence and consolidation of new and established gay cities in East and Southeast Asia, in particular, the sexualisation of the Singapore city-state, the commerce-led boom of queer Bangkok, the rise of middle-class gay consumer cultures in Manila and Hong Kong, and the proliferation of underground LGBT scenes in Shanghai and Beijing. In the West, scholarships on urban gay centres such as San Francisco, New York and London focus on the paradigms of ethnicity (Sinfield, 1996), gentrification (Bell and Binnie, 2004) and creativity (Florida, 2002). Mapping the rise of commercial gay neighbourhoods by combining the history of ghettos and its post-closet geography of community villages, these studies chart a teleological model of sexual minority rights, group recognition and homonormative mainstream assimilation. Instead of defaulting to these specifically North American and European paradigms and debates, this paper attempts to formulate a different theoretical framework to understand the rise of the queer Asian city. Providing case studies on Singapore and Hong Kong, and deploying an inter-disciplinary approach including critical creative industrial studies and cultural studies this paper examines the intersections across the practices of gay clusters, urban renewal and social movement. It asks: if queer Asian sexual cultures are characterised by disjunctive modernities, how do such modernities shape their spatial geographies and produce the material specificities of each city?
This article examines the role of audiovisual translation in the cinematic circulation of trans k... more This article examines the role of audiovisual translation in the cinematic circulation of trans knowledge. Through a case study of the Cantonese-dubbed version of the Thai-language film The Iron Ladies in Hong Kong, the article analyzes a regional production of trans meanings that negotiates between local subjectivities and globalized categories. The article also demonstrates the importance of a multilingual approach to the study of trans cinema.
A Companion to Wong Kari-wai
A Companion to Hong Kong Cinema, 2015
A Companion to Chinese Cinema, 2013
Undercurrents: Queer Culture and Postcolonial Hong Kong, 2008
Journal of Inter-Asia Cultural Studies, 2007
New Queer Cinema: A Critical Reader, 2004
Chinese Films in Focus II: 25 New Takes (2nd Edition), 2008
Short Essays by Helen Hok-Sze Leung
Inter-Asia Cultural Studies, 2021
This essay reflects on the cultural politics of pronouns. It analyzes recent practices that attem... more This essay reflects on the cultural politics of pronouns. It analyzes recent practices that attempt to create an inclusive linguistic environment for those with non-normative gender identification. Noting some of the limits and blind spots of these practices, the essay advocates a multilingual approach to creating gender-inclusive environments. Inter-referencing the examples of French and Cantonese in contrast to English, the essay shows that diverse cultural and linguistic contexts present different possibilities and challenges for practising the inclusive usage of pronouns.
TOPIA: Canadian Journal of Cultural Studies, 2018
This article is an intimate reflection on the multiple ways in which the author has embodied and ... more This article is an intimate reflection on the multiple ways in which the author has embodied and thought "queer Asia" from her location in Vancouver.
Asian Diaspora Visual Cultures and the Americas (ADVA), 2018
Inter-Asia Cultural Studies
Book Review of A View From The Bottom: Asian American Masculinity and Sexual Representation by Ng... more Book Review of A View From The Bottom: Asian American Masculinity and Sexual Representation by Nguyen Tan Hoang TSQ: Transgender Studies Quarterly 3.1-2 (2016): 326-329.
Arts & Culture Section, TSQ: Transgender Studies Quarterly 2.4 (2015): 689-94.
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Articles by Helen Hok-Sze Leung
Co-edited by Christine Kim and Helen Hok-Sze Leung
Co-authored by Phanuel Antwi, Nadine Attewell, Beng Huat Chua, John Nguyet Erni, Christine Kim, Joanne Leow, Helen Hok-Sze Leung, Jia Tan,
Chih-ming Wang, and Audrey Yue
Short Essays by Helen Hok-Sze Leung
Co-edited by Christine Kim and Helen Hok-Sze Leung
Co-authored by Phanuel Antwi, Nadine Attewell, Beng Huat Chua, John Nguyet Erni, Christine Kim, Joanne Leow, Helen Hok-Sze Leung, Jia Tan,
Chih-ming Wang, and Audrey Yue