ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on LGBTQ choirs in China, using the Beijing Queer Chorus as a case study. Examining how LGBTQ choirs such as the BQC construct queer identities and communities and how they engage in political and social activism through live performance and online streaming, I highlight the importance of using music, sound and digital media to communicate identity, community and social movements. Developing the critical framework of ‘queer audibility,’ I interrogate the cultural specificity of queer activism in the Chinese context and argue for a ‘soft’ type of activism through performing arts, culture and media. I also consider the role of the Internet and social media in disseminating queer voices to LGBTQ communities and the public across China and the Chinese diaspora.
