Eliz
M.Y. Wong

Welcome.

I am a PhD candidate in the Department of Social Policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) (with 4-year full funding from LSE PhD Studentship).

In general, my research examines laws, policies and cultural norms related to sexual orientation and gender identity, discrimination, gender, sexualities and family. In my PhD thesis, I am exploring the power and limits of same-sex marriage legalisation in Asia, focusing on the interaction between the policy, family and sexuality. I have also engaged in different research related to LGBTQ+ policies and public debate.

I completed an MPhil in Multi-Disciplinary Gender Studies at the University of Cambridge on a full scholarship from the Women Foundation Hong Kong in 2017, prior to which I received an MPhil (2016) and an honours bachelor’s degree (2014) in Sociology from The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Before joining the PhD programme, I worked as a researcher for the Sexualities Research Programme (SRP) at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, where I focused on LGBT politics and policies in Hong Kong and Mainland China.

As a scholar, I seek to conduct rigorous research which can induce social change. Previous experience researching controversial public policy debates, includes legislation anti-discrimination on sexual orientation in Hong Kong, helped me realise the crucial role that good systematic research can have in providing a comprehensive understanding of social issues and a more solid ground for problem-solving and policy advocacy. Controversial public debates are often times clouded with emotions and personal viewpoints, while empirical research can path the way for rational dialogue with different stakeholders. It can inform policy debates and engage stakeholders across various sectors.

PhD Supervisors: Dr Timothy Hildebrandt, Dr Hakan Seckinelgin

Peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters

Wong, E. M. Y., Suen, Y. T., Chan, R. C. H, Tepjan, S, & Newman, P. A. (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. (published online ahead of print). 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. 10.1007/s13178-023-00836-w

Suen, Y. T., Wong, E. M. Y., & Chan, R. C. H. (2022). COVID-19 and sexual minority individuals: Inductive thematic analysis of Chinese-speaking lesbian, gay and bisexual people’s experiences of COVID-19 in Hong Kong. Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters. doi: 10.1080/26410397.2022.2102537

Suen, Y. T., Wong, E. M. Y., & Chan, R. C. H. (published online ahead of print). 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. doi: 10.1177/0192513X211064874

Suen, Y. T., Chan, R. C. H., & Wong, E. M. Y. (published online ahead of print). 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. doi: 10.1007/s10508-022-02352-1

Chan, R. C. H., Suen, Y. T., & Wong, E. M. Y. (published online ahead of print). 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. doi: 10.1007/s10508-022-02374-9

Suen, Y. T., Chan, R. C. H., & Wong, E. M. Y. (published online ahead of print). Association between co-residence and loneliness during COVID-19 among sexual minority people in Hong Kong. International Journal of Social Psychiatry. doi: 10.1177/00207640221110435.

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. Journal of Sexual Medicine. doi: 10.1016/j.jsxm.2020.10.004

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 COVID-19 among Chinese gay and bisexual men in Hong Kong. International Journal of Infectious Diseases. doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2021.04.005

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. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113365 

Suen, Y. T., Chan, R. C. H., & Wong, E. M. Y. (accepted). Rural-urban sexual divide in China: Quantitative evidence on comparing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people’s lives in rural and urban China. The China Review.

Suen, Y. T., Chan, R. C. H., & Wong, E. M. Y. (accepted). Sex conservatism, internalized homonegativity, PrEP stigma and PrEP uptake: A study of Chinese-speaking gay and bisexual male youth in Hong Kong. AIDs Education and Prevention.

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. doi: 10.1080/00918369.2017.1368772

Suen, Y. T., & Wong, E. M. Y. (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 X. Lin, C. Haywood, and M. Mac an Ghaill (Eds.), East Asian Men: Masculinity, Sexuality and Desire. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Reports

Suen, Y. T., Chan, R. C.H., & Wong, E. M. Y. (2022). Preliminary findings of the largest-scale study on Hong Kong lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer and other sexual minority people in sports settings. Hong Kong: Sexualities Research Programme, Chinese University of Hong Kong.

• The report was covered by South China Morning Post.

Suen, Y. T., Chan, R. C.H., & Wong, E. M. Y. (2021). Excluded lives: The largest scale survey on the social and legal marginalisation of transgender people in Hong Kong so far. Hong Kong: Sexualities Research Programme, Chinese University of Hong Kong

• The report had 17 media coverage in Hong Kong, including Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) and South China Morning Post.

Suen, Y. T., Chan, R. C.H., Wong, E. M. Y. & Wright, E. (2021). Families and Physical and Mental Health of LGBT Youth In Hong Kong. Hong Kong: Sexualities Research Programme, Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Suen, Y. T., Chan, R. C.H., & Wong, E. M. Y. (2020). Public Attitudes towards LGBT+ Legal Rights in Hong Kong 2019/20. Hong Kong: Sexualities Research Programme, Chinese University of Hong Kong.

• The report has been widely covered by the Hong Kong media, including a front-page article featured in the South China Morning Post.

Suen, Y. T., Wong, M. Y., & Chan, R. C. H. (2017). Submission to Inter-Departmental Working Group on Gender Recognition, the Government of the HKSAR: Empirical Data on Transgender in Hong Kong and the Need for Legal Gender Recognition.  

Suen, Y. T., Wong, A. W. C., Barrow, A., Wong, M. Y., Mak, W. W. S., Choi, P. K., Lam, C. M., & Lau, T. F. (2016). Study on legislation against discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex status. (p. 240). Commissioned by Hong Kong Equal Opportunities Commission

Suen, Y. T., Wong, M. Y., Chan, R.C.H., & Yeung, G.K.W. (2016). Study on Hong Kong Public and LGB People’s Attitudes toward LGB-friendly Business Organizations.

Suen, Y. T., Yeung, G.K.W., Wong, M. Y., & Chan, R.C.H. (2016). Submission to the Bills Committee on Private Columbaria Bill of the Legislative Council of the HKSAR.

Policy briefs

Suen, Y. T., Yeung, G.K.W., Wong, E. M. Y., Chan, R.C.H. (2016). Sexual Orientation, Right to Inquire Partner’s Medical Information and Right to Claim Partner’s Ashes in Hong Kong - Policy brief.

Suen, Y. T., Chan, R. C. H., & Wong, M. Y. (2016) Mental Health of Transgender People in Hong Kong. Transgender Resource Center Hong Kong.

Journal referee

Big Data & Society; Journal of Homosexuality; LGBT Health; The China Quarterly

2018-2021

Families and physical and mental health of LGBT youth in Hong Kong

Commissioned by the Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs Association, this quantitative research examines the mental health of parents with non-heterosexual and/or gender non-conforming children in Hong Kong.

Principal Investigators:

• Dr Suen Yiu Tung, Assistant Professor, Gender Studies Programme, Chinese University of Hong Kong

• Dr Chan Chun Ho, Randolph, Assistant Professor, Department of Special Education and Counselling (SEC), Education University of Hong Kong

Co-Investigators:

• Eliz M.Y. Wong, PhD Candidate, Department of Social Policy, LSE

The report was launched on 24th March 2021 and was covered by local media in Hong Kong, including StandNews (In Chinese) and The Standard (In English).

Commissioned by Transgender Resource Center, a Hong Kong transgender NGO, the SRP team, conducts quantitative research on the mental health of transgender individuals and their attitudes toward legal rights and protection.

Principal Investigators:

• Dr Suen Yiu Tung, Assistant Professor, Gender Studies Programme, Chinese University of Hong Kong

• Dr Chan Chun Ho, Randolph, Assistant Professor, Department of Special Education and Counselling (SEC), Education University of Hong Kong

Co-Investigator:

• Eliz M.Y. Wong, PhD Candidate, Department of Social Policy, LSE

The report was launched on 12th May 2021 and was widely covered by Hong Kong local media, including Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) and South China Morning Post.

2019-2021

Informing Policy and Service Development for Transgender People in Hong Kong: A Community-based Study of Transgender People's Lived Experiences and Attitudes Toward Legal Rights and Protection

23 March 2022

Guest Lecture

GDRS 5086 Gender and Family (For master’s students)

Gender Studies Programme, Chinese University of Hong Kong

28 April 2021

Doing Queer Research in Queer Times: Methodological Reflections during the Pandemic

In Panel: Queer Methods, Queer Times 2021 Conference

Invited by lgbtQ+@​cam, University of Cambridge

3 April 2021

LGBTQ+ Rights and Policy Advocacy

In Transnational Chinese Queer Leadership Programme

Invited by Queer China, UK

20 April 2020

LGBTQ+ Movements in East Asia

Invited by Queer East Film Festival, London

(Cancelled because of COVID-19)

13 February 2020 

LGBTQ+ rights in Post-colonial Hong Kong

Invited by Cambridge Amnesty International (LGBT History Month 2020)

28 January 2020

LGBTQ+ Rights in Greater China

Invited by LSESU Hong Kong Public Affairs and Social Service Society (HK PASS), LSESU Taiwanese Society, the London School of Economics and Political Science

25 November 2019

Roundtable discussion on LGBTQ+ rights in Hong Kong

Invited by Contemporary China Centre, University of Westminster 

11 March 2018

In Dialogue with LGBT – Human Library

Invited by AIESEC (Chinese University of Hong Kong team)

2 Feb 2017

Queer Liberation in Post-colonial Hong Kong

Invited by Queer Asia at SOAS, University of London

2021 15th Conference of the European Sociological Association (Online)

2021  British Sociological Association Annual Conference (Online)

2020  British Sociological Association Annual Conference, Birmingham, United Kingdom (Cancelled because of COVID-19)

2017  Queer Asia Conference, SOAS, University of London, United Kingdom 

2017  European Conference on Politics and Gender, Lausanne, Switzerland 

2017  British Sociological Association Annual Conference, Manchester, United Kingdom

2016  American Sociological Association Annual Meeting, Seattle, United States 

2016  AAS-IN-ASIA Conference, The Association for Asian Studies, Kyoto, Japan 

2015  12th Conference of the European Sociological Association, Prague, Czech Republic 

2015  Inter-Asia Cultural Studies Society Conference, Surabaya, Indonesia 

2015  25th Annual Thinking Gender Conference, Centre for the Study of Women, UCLA, Los Angeles, United States 

As a scholar who aims to disseminate empirical study to the general public, designing infographic is an useful way to present lengthy academic findings in an understandable and accessible way for a wider audience. I have designed infographics on quantitative findings for different seminars and training in legal, business and social service sectors.