Passions of the Cut Sleeve: The Male Homosexual Tradition in China by Bret Hinsch, a 256-page book published by University of California Press on 10 August 1990, explores the male homosexual tradition in China from ancient times to the modern era. It challenges the common stereotypes and misconceptions about Chinese sexuality and homosexuality, and provides a rich and diverse picture of the historical and cultural expressions of same-sex love in China.
The book draws from various sources, such as dynastic histories, erotic novels, popular Buddhist tracts, love poetry, legal cases, and joke books, to illustrate the different aspects and forms of male homosexuality in China. It covers topics such as homosexual marriage, prostitution, transvestism, rape, monasticism, humor, and literature. It also examines the social and political factors that influenced the development and decline of the male homosexual tradition in China.
The book’s title comes from a famous legend about Emperor Ai of Han, who cut off his sleeve rather than disturb his sleeping male lover whose head was resting on it. Another term was “passion of the half-eaten peach,” which referred to a story about Emperor Ling of Han, who shared a peach with his male favorite. These stories show how male homosexuality was not only tolerated but celebrated in some periods of Chinese history.
Passions of the Cut Sleeve by Bret Hinsch has eight chapters, each focusing on a different aspect or period of the male homosexual tradition in China.
Chapter 1: The Bronze Age. This chapter discusses the origins and development of male homosexuality in ancient China, from the Shang dynasty (ca. 1600-1046 BCE) to the Warring States period (475-221 BCE). It examines the archaeological, literary, and historical evidence for same-sex love in this period, such as bronze mirrors, oracle bones, poetry, and legends. It also explores the role of shamanism, divination, and ritual in shaping the attitudes and practices of male homosexuality in ancient China.
Chapter 2: The Imperial Age. This chapter covers the male homosexual tradition from the Qin dynasty (221-206 BCE) to the Tang dynasty (618-907 CE), a period that saw the establishment and consolidation of imperial rule in China. It analyzes the political, social, and cultural factors that influenced the expression and regulation of same-sex love in this period, such as legal codes, court etiquette, Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism. It also describes the various forms and contexts of male homosexuality in this period, such as imperial favorites, court eunuchs, military companions, monastic lovers, and literary friends.
Chapter 3: Powdered Jade. This chapter focuses on the erotic literature of the Song dynasty (960-1279 CE), a period that witnessed a flourishing of cultural and artistic production in China. It examines the themes and motifs of erotic novels, short stories, and anecdotes that depicted male homosexuality in this period, such as cross-dressing, seduction, deception, jealousy, revenge, and romance. It also explores the social and psychological implications of these literary representations of same-sex love in Song society.
Chapter 4: The Golden Lotus. This chapter deals with the Ming dynasty (1368-1644 CE), a period that saw a revival and expansion of the male homosexual tradition in China. It investigates the sources and influences of male homosexuality in this period, such as popular culture, urban life, commerce, travel, and foreign contacts. It also surveys the diversity and complexity of male homosexuality in this period, such as homosexual marriage, prostitution, transvestism, rape, monasticism, humor, and literature.
Chapter 5: Popular Indulgence and Bawdy Satire. This chapter examines the Qing dynasty (1644-1912 CE), a period that witnessed a decline and repression of the male homosexual tradition in China. It explores the causes and consequences of this decline and repression, such as political turmoil, social change, moral conservatism, legal prohibition, and foreign invasion. It also describes the remnants and resistance of male homosexuality in this period, such as popular indulgence, bawdy satire, underground literature, and secret societies.
Chapter 6: Homosexuality in Humor. This chapter studies the role of humor in the male homosexual tradition in China throughout history. It analyzes the functions and forms of humor in relation to same-sex love in China, such as mockery, irony, parody, exaggeration, inversion, and subversion. It also discusses the meanings and messages of humor in relation to same-sex love in China, such as criticism, affirmation, celebration, and liberation.
Chapter 7: Reflections at the End of a Tradition. This chapter reflects on the end of the male homosexual tradition in China in the early twentieth century. It considers the factors and forces that contributed to this end, such as nationalism, modernization, Westernization, and revolution. It also evaluates the legacy and impact of this end, such as loss, silence, denial, and rediscovery.
Chapter 8: Epilogue. This chapter provides a brief overview of the current situation and future prospects of male homosexuality in China. It reviews the challenges and opportunities faced by the Chinese gay community in the contemporary era, such as discrimination, activism, visibility, and diversity. It also suggests some directions and possibilities for further research and understanding of the male homosexual tradition in China.