Scholarlink

This chapter examines the pandemic-era experiences of two Japanese LGBTQ+ individuals through in-depth case studies, highlighting the affective complexities of queer survival during crisis. While previous chapters focus on thematic patterns across survey and interview data, this chapter narrows the lens to explore the nuanced lives of “HimariParticipantsHimari – bisexual university student in California (FJ, 18–24),” a bisexual university student studyingHimariParticipants in the United States, and “SentoParticipantsSento – queer man in Japan (JJ, 25–34),” a gay man navigating workSentoParticipants and family expectations in Chiba, Japan. Himari’sParticipantsHimari – bisexual university student in California (FJ, 18–24) narrative, marked by diasporic isolation, familial estrangement, and mental healthMental health – LGBTQ+ during pandemic struggles, underscores the emotional toll of invisibility and the absence of care. In contrast, Sento’s story emphasizes quiet resilience, aesthetic self-stylization, and the refusal to disappear, revealing how queer life can flourish through subtle acts of presence rather than overt activism. Through a comparative analysis of their experiences—focusing on visibility, kinship, temporality, and spatial navigation—the chapter challenges Western-centric models of “coming out” and underscores the importance of intersectional and culturally situated understandings of queerness. By combining narrative depth with theoretical reflection, this chapter not only documents the uneven realities of LGBTQ+ life during COVID-19 but also calls attention to the everyday acts of endurance and care that sustain queer individuals beyond moments of crisis.

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Precarious Visibility and Queer Solitude: Two Lives in and Beyond Japan During the COVID-19 Pandemic

  • 章节

  • 发表日期：

    2025年

查看全文
  • Masami Tamagawa

摘要

This chapter examines the pandemic-era experiences of two Japanese LGBTQ+ individuals through in-depth case studies, highlighting the affective complexities of queer survival during crisis. While previous chapters focus on thematic patterns across survey and interview data, this chapter narrows the lens to explore the nuanced lives of “HimariParticipantsHimari – bisexual university student in California (FJ, 18–24),” a bisexual university student studyingHimariParticipants in the United States, and “SentoParticipantsSento – queer man in Japan (JJ, 25–34),” a gay man navigating workSentoParticipants and family expectations in Chiba, Japan. Himari’sParticipantsHimari – bisexual university student in California (FJ, 18–24) narrative, marked by diasporic isolation, familial estrangement, and mental healthMental health – LGBTQ+ during pandemic struggles, underscores the emotional toll of invisibility and the absence of care. In contrast, Sento’s story emphasizes quiet resilience, aesthetic self-stylization, and the refusal to disappear, revealing how queer life can flourish through subtle acts of presence rather than overt activism. Through a comparative analysis of their experiences—focusing on visibility, kinship, temporality, and spatial navigation—the chapter challenges Western-centric models of “coming out” and underscores the importance of intersectional and culturally situated understandings of queerness. By combining narrative depth with theoretical reflection, this chapter not only documents the uneven realities of LGBTQ+ life during COVID-19 but also calls attention to the everyday acts of endurance and care that sustain queer individuals beyond moments of crisis.