I am thrilled to announce that my article “K-pop Fandom’s affective role in shaping knowledge of gender and sexuality among LGBTQ+ fans in Australia and the Philippines,” co-authored with Kelsey E. Scholes, has just been published open access in Sexualities!

This paper draws upon research conducted as part of my Academy of Korean Studies funded project into the role of K-pop fandom in shaping LGBTQ+ cultures across the Asia-Pacific during and immediately after the COVID-19 pandemic. You can find another output from the project that focuses on developing a queer theory of the Korean Wave here.

Here is the abstract:

Drawing on interviews with 17 K-pop fans from Australia and the Philippines who identity as LGBTQ+, this article explores and theorizes the role of K-pop fandom in the production of knowledge concerning gender and sexuality. Through an analytical approach sensitive to the affective discourse produced by fans, this article establishes that K-pop fandom operates as a queer space which normalizes queer sexuality and gendered performance through the production of feelings of security, attraction, and relief. Further, analysis of the LGBTQ + fans’ discourse uncovers that the androgynous gendered performances of K-pop idols facilitate fans’ queering of heteropatriarchal and heteronormative ideologies.

The article is completely free to access and you can read it here.