Chinese authorities are targeting authors of Boys’ Love novels, primarily young women, detaining numerous writers and issuing severe fines and prison sentences. With the genre gaining popularity since the 1990s, recent restrictions reflect a troubling trend toward suppressing LGBTQ+ expression in literature.
Crackdown on Boys’ Love Novelists Raises Concerns Over Free Expression in China
Crackdown on Boys’ Love Novelists Raises Concerns Over Free Expression in China
The Chinese government intensifies its campaign against writers of gay erotic fiction, detaining dozens and imposing harsh penalties amid growing censorship of LGBTQ+ narratives.
In a dramatic escalation of censorship, Chinese authorities are cracking down on writers of Boys’ Love, a genre that revolves around romantic relationships between male protagonists. This genre, primarily composed and read online by heterosexual women, has cultivated a substantial following in China since its inception in the 1990s. The situation has unfolded most severely in provinces like Anhui and Gansu, where a police operation has seen dozens of writers interrogated and some facing significant legal repercussions.
One graduate student illustrates the volatility of the current landscape: she authored a romance novel that spanned 75 chapters and included explicit content. Now, with the state's renewed focus on policing sexuality in literature, her passion project could lead to serious felony charges. Reports indicate that at least a dozen writers faced trial last year on obscenity charges, with some enduring fines and prison sentences for what the government deems as the dissemination of "obscene" material.
Initially hailing from Japan, Boys' Love fiction flourished in China, catalyzing the popularity of various television adaptations and birthing some of the country's famed male celebrities. The ascent of this genre, however, has been met with increasing resistance from state media, which characterizes it as “vulgar” and a distortion of societal values. In response to the genre’s ubiquity, regulators have intensified scrutiny, commanding the cancellation of shows and outright bans on adaptations showcasing LGBTQ+ themes.
The crackdown serves as a sobering reminder of the precarious position of creative expression in China, especially regarding narratives that challenge conventional gender roles and sexuality. The tightening grip of censorship raises pressing questions about the implications for free expression and the rights of individuals to explore diverse identities within the realm of storytelling.
