Shutong Chen
Shutong (Ash) Chen is a Higher Degree Research (HDR) candidate in the School of Social Sciences at UNSW Sydney. Their research explores the intersections of queer migration, transnational activism, and geopolitics, with a particular focus on Chinese-speaking LGBTQ+ diasporas in Australia. Drawing on in-depth interviews, photovoice, and digital ethnography, Shutong examines how queer migrants from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan navigate identity, community, and activism across borders.
Trained as a social worker, Shutong has extensive experience in both hospital and community-based services, with a strong grounding in advocacy and grassroots organising. They have worked closely with LGBTQ+ organisations and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities, particularly within the Chinese-speaking queer community in Australia. Their commitment to community-led approaches informs both the ethical and methodological frameworks of their research.
Their doctoral project investigates how queer Chinese migrants build transnational networks of solidarity and resistance, and how their lived experiences reflect broader shifts in migration governance, identity, and diasporic belonging.
Research Area:
- Transnational Activism
- Feminism
- Queer Identity
Research Topic:
Transnational Queer Activism in Australia: An Analysis of the Civic Participation of Diaspora Chinese Queer ActivistsÂ
Synopsis:
This research explores how Chinese-speaking LGBTQ+ migrants in Australia engage in transnational activism linked to movements in mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. By combining participant interviews, visual storytelling, and digital mapping, the project seeks to understand how migrants make sense of identity, solidarity, and resistance across geopolitical and cultural contexts. It pays particular attention to the role of community organising, digital media, and everyday political practice in shaping new forms of queer diasporic activism.
Supervisors:
Dr. Yao-Tai Li; Associate Professor. Penny Griffin
Areas of Interest:
Queer migration; transnational activism; Chinese diasporas; community organising; international relations; poststructuralist theory
- Publication
- Conference
Chen, S. (2025). Transnational activism. In R. Cover & C. E. Newman (Eds.), Elgar encyclopedia of queer studies (pp. 387–390). Edward Elgar Publishing.
Chen, S. (2025, June). Geopolitics and queer migration: Chinese diasporic activism in Australia [Conference presentation]. Eleventh Oceanic Conference on International Studies (OCIS), Sydney, Australia.