January 5th 2025.
In 2008, Lee Yiu-chung and Tracy Lai Wing-yan collaborated on a comic book aimed at promoting tolerance for young gay men. However, in recent news, it has been reported that dozens of LGBTQ+ erotica writers in China have been arrested for what the government deems as "pornographic" content. The People's Republic has a strict zero-tolerance policy towards what it considers to be vulgar or illegal material, and has previously taken down thousands of websites in efforts to "purify" the internet.
As part of a special operation, censors have targeted approximately 50 authors in the eastern province of Anhui. These writers were mainly arrested for publishing on the Taiwan-based erotica website, Haitang Literature, which allows them to earn money through tips and subscriptions. The website's most popular genre is "danmei," which focuses on romantic and sexual relationships between men. According to Radio Free Asia, ten of the writers who were sentenced had posted gay erotica. This information was reported by several newspapers in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan.
"One of my friends, who was released on bail, called me from a new phone and warned me to be prepared," shared one writer on the gaming bulletin board NGA, as cited by the AO3 fan-fiction site on Reddit. Another post mentioned a "nationwide crackdown" and revealed that the Chinese distributor of the website was also targeted. The severity of the writers' sentences under Chinese law depends on the amount of money they make, with some potentially facing a maximum sentence of life in prison.
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In 2018, a Chinese court sentenced Ms. Liu, a novelist, to 10 years in prison for including gay scenes in her work. Her book, titled "Occupation," featured "male homosexual behavior, including perverted sexual acts like violation and abuse." China's pornography laws, which prohibit the production, distribution, and sale of sexually explicit material, have often been used as a way to censor content.
Despite the fact that homosexuality is not considered a crime or an illness in China, LGBTQ+ individuals still face widespread discrimination. This adds another layer of suppression of freedom of expression, particularly when it comes to publishing erotica. Any LGBTQ+ content is specifically targeted for censorship in China's state-controlled media. In 2016, the government even ordered the removal of China's first online gay-themed TV series from the internet, as reported by Human Rights Watch.
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