Zhangzhu 掌珠 Wan 万 (she/her)

Areas of Interest

• Transnational Feminism
• Queer Diasporas
• Identity Formation under Censorship
• Queer Media Representation

Biography

Zhangzhu was born and raised in Nanchang, China. After moving to the US when she was 14, she started to learn how to explore the world around her as a young Chinese queer woman. She completed her BA and MA in women’s studies at the George Washington University. With her double minor in sociology and psychology and her MA concentration in public policy, Zhangzhu’s research on Chinese queer youths ponders upon political and social aspects of their lived experiences. More specifically, she investigates the influence of censorship on queer identity formation in a transnational context. She is also a dedicated community organizer and activist for the queer and Chinese communities. Outside of academia, she actively engages with NGOs supporting Chinese queer women in both North America and China, such as Upwomxn and 山坡simple. Her work in these NGOs includes planning for feminist discussions/workshops and providing a safe space for Chinese queer women’s self-expression. In her free time, she enjoys traveling with friends, exploring the city, and spending quality time with her cat.

Program: PhD 2024

Education

MA, Public Policy with a Concentration in Women’s Studies, The George Washington University

BA, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, The George Washington University

Dissertation

Supervisor: Shana Ye

My research aims to unmask the invisible hand that works to silence and censor. Driven by a desire to better understand Chinese queer youths’ past, present, and future, I ask: How are Gen-Z Chinese queer youths’ identities and perceptions/devices of queer kinship shaped in an age of censorship? How does the queer community in China utilize transnational feminist discourse in altering community mobilization and building to bypass censorship?

From a transnational feminist perspective, issues related to gender and sexuality transcend national borders and are interconnected with broader global movements. By adopting a transnational feminist lens, my work highlights how queer individuals in China are not only challenging censorship but also contributing to a global discourse on LGBTQ+ reproduction and representation.

Presentations

National Women’s Studies Association Conference Baltimore, MD Panel Presenter October 27th, 2023
• Presented the paper “The Online Self-Representation of Lesbian Family Reproduction in China” under the panel “Reformers, Activists, Queer Feminists: Chinese Feminist Resilience from Early Modern to Contemporary China.”

Columbian College of Arts and Sciences Research Showcase Washington, DC Individual Presenter April 11, 2023
• Presented a senior capstone and independently researched findings on Chinese lesbian parents’ self-representation on social media under the influence of state censorship on queer content.

GW University Writing and Research Conference Virtual Student Presenter October 15, 2020
• Chosen by GWU writing professor to be included in a select group of students who presented at the conference.
• Presented on the significance, impact, & research of the One-Child policy, IUD, & Chinese women’s agency for 15 minutes based on a 20-page research paper. This presentation included a Q&A session with attendees.

Selected Works

“Life of a Theory: Chinese Women’s Blood as a Source of Power and Pollution,” Feminist Spaces, August 2023, Issue 9, https://www.feministspacesjournal.org/issues.

Honours and Awards