Affective belonging and negotiated authenticity
Vietnamese gay men navigating sexuality, kinship and emotional health in Thailand
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 15099348 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Mai Phuc Thinh (0009-0001-4246-6410, Center of Global Studies, Duy Tan University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Pages | 1-13 |
| Publication date | 2025-09-24 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Culture Health & Sexuality (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1369-1058 • E-ISSN: 1464-5351 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/13691058.2025.2554719 |
| PMID | 40991356 |
| OpenAlex | W4414465845 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 34 |
This study examined how Vietnamese gay men negotiate sexuality, kinship, and emotional health during their educational studies in Thailand. Drawing on narrative interviews with ten participants and informed by theories of negotiated authenticity, performativity, and affective belonging, it conceptualises queer identity work as a relational, health-preserving practice rather than a linear 'coming-out' trajectory. Participants described studying abroad as an emotional breathing space from family pressured while also confronting new vulnerabilities shaped by class, national identity, and Thai cultural norms - including restrained public displays of affection and a 'regime of images' that calibrate visibility. Selective disclosure emerged as a key strategy for reducing shame and conflict, maintaining kin ties, and protecting concentration while at university. Kinship obligations grounded in filial duty continued to organise belonging across borders, producing partial openings in the form of episodic moments of recognition and safety without categorical liberation. The research extends lifespan and context-sensitive queer identity models by specifying how affective belonging operates in intra-Asian mobility and by foregrounding its implications for wellbeing. Policy and practice recommendations follow from the findings. Culturally attuned counselling, peer-led support, confidentiality safeguards, and referral pathways can translate affective belonging into institutional arrangements that sustain students' mental health alongside academic success
Heteronormativity · Identity (music · Identity negotiation · Kinship · Mental health · Narrative · Queer · Shame · Vietnamese · LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy · Southeast Asian Sociopolitical Studies · Vietnamese History and Culture Studies
Queer Bangkok
Geographies of Migration
Analysis of LGBT identity development models and implications for practice
Stigma
Impacts of Confucianism on Vietnamese culture
Reflecting on reflexive thematic analysis
Reshaping boundaries
Gender Trouble
Narrative Methods for the Human Sciences
Identity management and sense of belonging to gay community among young rural Thai same-sex attracted men
I thought I was the only one’
From “Social Evils” to “Human Beings”
Same‐sex marriage in Asia
Vietnamese LGBTQ Youth’s Transition to Adulthood
Reading the Youtube sitcom My best gay friends
Boys Love Media in Thailand
Revealing and Concealing Difference
The Thai Regime of Images
Gender, Mobility Regimes, and Social Transformation in Asia
Queer/Migration
Internalized Homonegativity, Confucianism, and Self-Esteem at the Emergence of an LGBTQ Identity in Modern Vietnam
Toward the Complexity of Identity
Negotiating the swamp
| Unique citing works | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 2 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 2 |