Exclusions and pragmatic belonging-work: queer lived experiences in Singapore

Abstract

This paper explores the experiences and negotiations of feelings of belonging by queer women university students in Singapore, where there have been significant reforms with regards to queer individuals (e.g., the repeal of Section 377A which criminalized sex between men) whilst still retaining non-inclusive public policies. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 14 queer women university students in Singapore; data collected was subsequently analyzed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis. Two themes were generated: first, experiences of feelings of (un)belonging occurred through manifestations of heteronormativity in everyday encounters and via institutionalized heteronormativity; second, in response to the illiberal pragmatism of the state, participants employ what I term pragmatic belonging-work to pragmatically negotiate their feelings of belonging through vigilance and contextual adaptations. This paper thus contributes theoretically and empirically to the limited but growing body of literature on queer women in Singapore, who have been largely absent from the literature.