Prof. SUEN Yiu Tung

Yiu-tung SUEN (DPhil in Sociology, University of Oxford) is Associate Professor of the Gender Studies Programme, and Associate Professor (by courtesy) of the Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He received the Young Researcher Award (2020) of the CUHK, and Exemplary Teaching Award in the Faculty of Social Sciences (2022) of the CUHK.

His research concerns the impact of sexual orientation and gender identity related laws and policies (and the lack thereof) on the lives of LGBT+ people themselves and the wider society. He founded and directs the Sexualities Research Programme, the first and foremost research programme in Hong Kong dedicated to studying LGBT+ related laws and social policies. His research is central to a paradigm shift in Hong Kong and other parts of Asia for debates on sexual orientation and gender identity related laws and policies from being based on assumptions and anecdotes to being based on solid quantitative and qualitative empirical evidence.

He has published widely in top leading journals, with single- or first- authored articles in Journal of Family Theory and Review, American Journal of Public Health, Social Science and Medicine, The China Quarterly, Journal of Sex Research, Archives of Sexual Behavior, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, among numerous others. He holds 4 General Research Fund projects of the University Grants Committee (UGC) of Hong Kong as Principal Investigator (2018–2020, 2019–2021, 2021–2022, 2023-24 exercises).

He is associate editor of Journal of Social and Personal Relationships (Sage). He sits on the editorial boards of Ageing and Society (Cambridge University Press), Sociological Research Online (British Sociological Association and Sage), Sexual and Gender Diversity in Social Services (Taylor & Francis), NORMA: International Journal for Masculinity Studies (Taylor & Francis), and Journal of Men’s Studies (Sage), and London Review of Education (UCL Press). He is co-editor of Older Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans People: Minding the Knowledge Gaps (London: Routledge) and special issue editor of LGBTQ+ Family: An Interdisciplinary Journal on the theme ‘LGBTQ+ parenting in China: Mapping research base and identifying research gaps’.

His international collaborations include working with the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and Yale University (with Professors Ilan Mayer and John Packankis), Yale University (with Darius Longarino), University of Toronto (with Professor Peter Newman through research funded by Canada’s Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SHHRC)), and University of Oxford (through the Hub on Global Experiences of Gender in an Age of Care Crises and Transformation).

Internationally, he has been a consultant and written reports for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the International Labour Organization (ILO), and advised the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the World Bank for their research. He is a member of the World Economic Forum (WEF)’s Expert Network and curates the WEF’s transformation map on Parity and Inclusion. He sits on the research advisory board of Open for Business. Locally, he led the largest-scale research in Hong Kong Equal Opportunities Commission’s history of commissioned research. He is an appointed member of the Hong Kong Advisory Council on AIDS of the Department of Health of the HKSAR Government. He is Adviser and Past Vice-Chairperson of AIDS Concern Hong Kong. He frequently addresses a wide range of audiences including policy makers, business leaders, lawyers, healthcare professionals, social workers and service providers. He has also been working with a variety of sectors as diverse as business, law, hospitality, fashion and more. Moreover, he has been interviewed by international media outlets such as the AFP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNN, Financial Times, New York Times, Reuters, TIME Magazine, Washington Post, and many others for his research.

Courses Taught

GDRS1001 – Introduction to Gender Studies
GDRS3001 – LGBTQI + Studies Identities and Social Change
GDRS3007 – Understanding Masculinities and Social Change
GDRS4008 – Gender, Sexuality and Health: Towards Diversity and Equity
GDRS5030 – Advanced Topics in Gender Studies I
GDRS5084 – Genders & Sexualities in a Globalizing World: Crossing the Public/private Divide

Research Interests

Sexualities, LGBT Issues, Gender, Social Policy, Law, Discrimination, Ageing, Health, HIV/AIDS

Research Projects

He holds 4 General Research Fund projects of the University Grants Committee of Hong Kong as Principal Investigator (2018–2020, 2019–2021, 2021–2022, 2023-24 exercises). Throughout his academic career he has won research funding of HKD 3.78 million/ USD 0.5 million in total as Principal Investigator, and HKD 19.2 million/ USD 2.5 million as Co-Investigator.

Selected Publications

* corresponding author; ^ student supervisee

Referred Journal Articles

Suen, Y. T. (Accepted) Same-sex Marriage in Asia: Understanding Intra-Regional Differences in Development. Journal of Family Theory & Review.
Suen, Y. T. (Accepted) Same-sex marriage has health implications for LGBTQ+ people – legal recognition of same-sex marriage in Asia is an opportunity to improve LGBTQ+ physical and mental health. American Journal of Public Health.
Suen, Y. T., Wong, E. M. Y., Chan, R. C. H., Tepjan, S. and Newman, P. (Accepted) Heteronormativity and Cisgenderism in Medical Training: A Scoping Review of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Plus (LGBTQ+) Issues in Medical Training in Asia. Social Science & Medicine.
Suen, Y. T. & Longarino, D. (Accepted) LGBTQ+ parenting in China: Mapping research base and identifying research gaps – Introduction to the Special Issue. LGBTQ+ Family: An Interdisciplinary Journal.
Wong, E. M. Y., Suen, Y. T., Chan, R. C. H., Tepjan, S. & Newman, P. (Accepted) Inclusion of LGBTQ+ individuals in Hong Kong: A scoping review. Sexuality Research and Social Policy.
Suen, Y. T., Wong, E. M. Y., & Chan, R. C. H. (2024). Relationship between religion and public attitudes toward same-sex marriage: Examining the role of traditional Chinese religions through a case study of Hong Kong. Sexuality Research and Social Policy, 21(1), 86–96. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13178-023-00836-w
Chan, R. C. H., Wong, E. M. Y., & Suen, Y. T. (2024). Consuming fitspiration content on Instagram as a risk factor for self-objectification and depression symptoms among sexual minority individuals: Exploring the intersection of gender and sexual orientation. Computers in Human Behavior, 108363. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2024.108363
Chan, R. C. H., Suen, Y. T., & Leung, J. S. Y. (2024). Gender identity differences in the experiences of family stressors and violence among transgender and non-binary individuals in China. Family Process, 63(2), 1046–1067. https://doi.org/10.1111/famp.12958
Suen, Y. T. (2023). A qualitative study of older people living with HIV Hong Kong: Resilience through downward comparison amidst limited social support. Journal of Aging Studies, 64, 101079. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaging.2022.101079
Suen, Y. T., Chan, R. C., & Wong, E. M. Y. (2023). Association between co-residence and loneliness during COVID-19 among sexual minority people in Hong Kong. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 69(2), 483–492. https://doi.org/10.1177/00207640221110435
Suen, Y. T., Wong, E. M. Y., & Chan, R. C. H. (2023). Chinese lesbian and gay adults’ self-reported experiences of negative treatment and violence from family of origin: Evidence from a larger-scale study in China. Journal of Family Issues, 44(7), 1880–1903. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X211064874
Chan, R. C. H., & Suen, Y. T. (2023). Effects of identity disclosure on school victimization and long-term educational outcomes among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex students in China. Journal of School Psychology, 98, 96–112. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2023.02.005
Suen, Y. T. (2022). Ageing non-heterosexual migrants: Towards global sexual citizenship. Journal of Aging Studies, 60, 100980. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaging.2021.100980
Suen, Y. T. (2022). Older gay men in Hong Kong and later life concerns: Identities matter? Sexualities, 25(1–2), 164–169. https://doi.org/10.1177/1363460720902717
Suen, Y. T., Chan, R. C. H., & Wong, E. M. Y. (2022). Heterogeneity in the desire to undergo various gender-affirming medical interventions among transgender people in Hong Kong: Findings from a community-driven survey and implications for the legal gender recognition debate. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 51(7), 3613–3625. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-022-02352-1
Suen, Y. T., Chan, R. C. H., & Wong, E. M. Y. (2022). Rural-urban sexual divide in China: Quantitative evidence on comparing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people’s lives in rural and urban China. China Review, 22(4), 263–293.
Suen, Y. T., Chan, R. C. H., & Wong, E. M. Y. (2022). Sex conservatism, internalized homonegativity, PrEP stigma, and intention to use PrEP: A study of Chinese-speaking gay and bisexual male youth in Hong Kong. AIDS Education and Prevention, 34(6), 467–480. https://doi.org/10.1521/aeap.2022.34.6.467
Suen, Y. T., Wong, E. M. Y., & Chan, R. C. H. (2022). Experiences of COVID-19 among Chinese-speaking lesbian, gay and bisexual people in Hong Kong: An inductive thematic analysis of survey response data. Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters, 30(1), 2102537. https://doi.org/10.1080/26410397.2022.2102537
Chan, R. C. H., Suen, Y. T., & Wong, E. M. Y. (2022). The influence of concerns about a child’s sexual orientation on mental health among parents of lesbian, gay, and bisexual children in Hong Kong. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 51(7), 3497–3512. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-022-02374-9
Suen, Y. T. (2021). Sexual minority expatriates as agent of change? How foreign same-sex couples won the recognition of same-sex relationship for immigration purposes in Hong Kong. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 47(13), 2961–2978. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2019.1690980
Suen, Y. T., Chan, R. C. H., & Badgett, M. V. L. (2021). The experiences of sexual and gender minorities in employment: Evidence from a large-scale survey of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people in China. The China Quarterly, 245, 142–164. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0305741020000429
Suen, Y. T., Chan, R. C. H., & Wong, E. M. Y. (2021). An exploratory study of factors associated with difficulties in accessing HIV services during the COVID-19 pandemic among Chinese gay and bisexual men in Hong Kong. International Journal of Infectious Diseases, 106, 358–362. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2021.04.005
Suen, Y. T., Chan, R. C. H., & Wong, E. M. Y. (2021). To have or not to have sex? COVID-19 and sexual activity among Chinese-speaking gay and bisexual men in Hong Kong. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 18(1), 29–34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsxm.2020.10.004
Suen, Y. T., & Chidgey, A. (2021). Disruption of HIV service provision and response in Hong Kong during COVID-19: Issues of privacy and space. Journal of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (JIAPAC), 20, 23259582211059588. https://doi.org/10.1177/23259582211059588
Suen, Y. T., & Chan, R. C. H. (2021). “Gay brain drain”: Hong Kong lesbian, gay, and bisexual people’s consideration of emigration because of non-inclusive social policies. Sexuality Research and Social Policy, 18(3), 739–752. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13178-020-00497-z
Suen, Y. T., Chan, R. C. H., & Wong, E. M. Y. (2020). Effects of general and sexual minority-specific COVID-19-related stressors on the mental health of lesbian, gay, and bisexual people in Hong Kong. Psychiatry Research, 292, 113365. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113365
Suen, Y., & Chan, R. C. H. (2020). A nationwide cross-sectional study of 15,611 lesbian, gay and bisexual people in China: Disclosure of sexual orientation and experiences of negative treatment in health care. International Journal for Equity in Health, 19(1), 46. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-020-1151-7
Suen, Y. T., & Chan, R. C. H. (2020). Prevalence and risk and protective factors associated with HIV-related behavior among transgender people in Hong Kong. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services, 32(2), 148–163. https://doi.org/10.1080/10538720.2019.1690609
Suen, Y. T., Chan, R. C. H., & Wong, E. M. Y. (2018). Mental health of transgender people in Hong Kong: A community-driven, large-scale quantitative study documenting demographics and correlates of quality of life and suicidality. Journal of Homosexuality, 65(8), 1093–1113. https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2017.1368772
Suen, Y. T. (2017). Challenging the majority support argument on not introducing anti-discrimination legislation on the ground of sexual orientation in Hong Kong. Hong Kong Law Journal, 47(2), 421–444.
Suen, Y. T. (2017). Older single gay men’s body talk: Resisting and rigidifying the aging discourse in the gay community. Journal of Homosexuality, 64(3), 397–414. https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2016.1191233
Suen, Y. T. (2015). Methodological reflections on researching lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender university students in Hong Kong: To what extent are they vulnerable interview subjects? Higher Education Research & Development, 34(4), 722–734. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2015.1051009
Suen, Y. T. (2015). What’s gay about being single? A qualitative study of the lived experiences of older single gay men. Sociological Research Online, 20(3), 48–61. https://doi.org/10.5153/sro.3716
Suen, Y. T. (2015). To date or not to date, that is the question: Older single gay men’s concerns about dating. Sexual and Relationship Therapy, 30(1), 143–155. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681994.2014.975922
Suen, Y.T. (2012). The Homeshare programme: Critical reflections. Journal of Intergenerational Relationships, 10(2), 184–189. https://doi.org/10.1080/15350770.2012.673379
Cohen, J., & Suen, Y.T. (2012). Taking stock: Exploring trends in the field of men’s studies through a content analysis of the American Men’s Studies Association (AMSA) Annual Conference Programs (1993–2012). The Journal of Men’s Studies, 20(1), 73–83. https://doi.org/10.3149/jms.2001.73
Suen, Y. T. (2011). Do older women or older men report worse health? Questioning the ‘sicker’ older women assumption through a period and cohort analysis. Social Theory & Health, 9(1), 71–86. https://doi.org/10.1057/sth.2010.6

Refereed book chapters

Suen, YT and Wong, MY (2016) ‘Male homosexuality in Hong Kong: a 20-year review of public attitudes towards homosexuality and experiences of discrimination self-reported by gay men’ in Lin, X. Haywood, C. and Mac an Ghaill, M. (eds.), East Asian Men: Masculinity, Sexuality and Desire. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Suen YT (2015) ‘Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender ageing’ in Twigg, J. and Martin, W. (eds.) Routledge Handbook of Cultural Gerontology, p. 226-233. London: Routledge.

Westwood, S, King, A, Almack, K, Suen, YT and Bailey, L (2014) ‘Good Practice in Health and Social Care Provision for Older LGBT people’ in Fish. J. and Karban, K. (eds.), Social Work and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans Health Inequalities: International Perspectives, p. 145-158. Bristol: Policy Press.

Reports

Suen, YT (2018) LGBTI People and Employment: Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, and Sex Characteristics in China, the Philippines and Thailand. (90pp.). United Nations Development Programme and the International Labour Organization.

Suen, YT, Wong W. C. et al (2016). Study on Legislation against Discrimination on the Grounds of Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Intersex Status. Hong Kong Equal Opportunities Commission. (243pp.)

Co-edited Book

King, A, Almack, K., Suen, YT and Westwood, S (2019) Older Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans Adults: Minding the Knowledge Gaps. London: Routledge.

Administrative Duties

Associate Director

Gender Research Centre, the Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies

Founding Director

Sexualities Research Programme, Gender Research Centre, the Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies

Adjunct Associate Professor (by courtesy)

Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care

Member

Task Force on Education and Training, Committee Against Sexual Harassment

Community and Professional Service

Editorial boards of

Journal of Social and Personal Relationships (Sage),
Ageing and Society (Cambridge University Press),
Journal of Social and Personal Relationships (Sage),
Sociological Research Online (British Sociological Association and Sage)
NORMA: International Journal for Masculinity Studies (Taylor & Francis)
Journal of Men’s Studies (Sage)
Sexual and Gender Diversity in Social Services (Taylor & Francis)

Appointed council member, Hong Kong Advisory Council on AIDS, Department of Health, the HKSAR Government