Haitang: China is cracking down on young women who write gay erotica
www.bbc.com
"Every word I once wrote has come back to haunt me," posted a writer who says she was arrested for "obscene" work.

“Every word I once wrote has come back to haunt me,” posted a writer who says she was arrested for “obscene” work.

Archived version: https://archive.is/newest/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c056nle2drno

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    • Jabril [none/use name]@hexbear.netEnglish
      308·
      2 days ago

      All porn is illegal in China. There are hundreds of queer romantic novels and such not being targeted, because they don’t cross the line into graphic pornography. This is being framed as anti queer but it is actually anti porn

      • chicken@lemmy.dbzer0.com
        16·
        2 days ago

        The article makes the argument that it is overtly anti queer:

        The law targets “explicit descriptions of gay sex or other sexual perversions”. Heterosexual depictions often have more leeway - works by acclaimed Chinese authors, including Nobel Laureate Mo Yan, have graphic sexual scenes, but are widely available.

        Although authors of heterosexual erotica have been jailed in China, observers say the genre is subjected to far less censorship. Gay erotica, which is more subversive, seems to bother authorities more. Volunteers in a support group for the Haitang writers told the BBC police even questioned some readers.

      • Mothra@mander.xyz
        51·
        2 days ago

        You have Chicken with a counterargument for why it’s anti queer in particular. I’ll take your anti porn frame instead just for the sake of it: still dystopian. Especially written. You can’t even make the case actors are being abused.

          • outhouseperilous@lemmy.dbzer0.com
            7·
            2 days ago

            Banning porn isn’t just about porn

            And the shared imaginary of literature does help people develope and elaborate on identities, including sexual identities. So even if it was just about porn, it would still be dystopian, even if it doesnt have quite the urgency or visceral edge of the dystopian shit most of us are used to pointing out these days.

          • Mothra@mander.xyz
            41·
            1 day ago

            You’re describing having to use your imagination while wanking as dystopian.

            How am I doing that? Using imagination while wanking is perfectly fine. Arresting people for using their imagination is dystopian.

        • jsomae@lemmy.ml
          43·
          2 days ago

          This should go in the list of comments that are always worthless in any context.