When Sexual Roles Matter More Than 'Gay' Identity: Desire, Recognition, and Misalignment in Contemporary Chinese Gay Life

Sexual roles such as "top," "bottom," and "versatile" are widely used in gay communities worldwide, yet their social meanings vary across cultural contexts. Drawing on thirty in-depth interviews with Generation Z Chinese gay men, this study examines how the role categories "1," "0," and "0.5"—the Chinese equivalents of "top," "bottom," and "versatile"—shape identity formation, desire, and intimate interactions. The findings show that sexual roles are not simply sexual preferences, but social categories embedded in gender norms and power asymmetries. Participants frequently associated the role of "1" with masculinity, bodily strength, and emotional restraint, while the role of "0" was linked to femininity and stigmatization—a dynamic that, while not unique to China, takes on particular forms within contemporary Chinese gender culture. These associations produced unequal conditions in dating markets and digital interactions: despite their functional complementarity, the two roles carry asymmetrical social value, such that individuals identifying as "1" often experienced smoother entry into relationships, whereas those associated with "0" faced greater pressure to manage stereotypes and seek social legitimacy. At the same time, participants' embodied experiences often diverged from the expectations attached to these roles. Rather than abandoning the role system, individuals strategically managed these mismatches through impression management and flexible self-presentation. The study argues that sexual roles function as interactional infrastructures that organize desire and recognition in contemporary Chinese gay communities, revealing how gender hierarchy continues to shape sexual subjectivity within queer spaces.