“I’ve been warned not to talk about it.”
At least 30 writers have been arrested since February for publishing explicit BL (Boys’ Love) content. Most of them are women in their 20s, and at least one has been warned not to speak up about her harrowing experience.
On Weibo, some of these writers, including a woman who goes by the name Pingping Anan Yongfu, have revealed shocking details about their arrests. In response, dozens of lawyers have reportedly reached out to these writers, offering to defend them pro bono.
I’ve been warned not to talk about it. I’ll never forget it – being escorted to the car in full view, enduring the humiliation of stripping naked for examination in front of strangers, putting on a vest for photos, sitting in the chair, shaking with fear, my heart pounding.
— Pingping Anan Yongfu
The arrested writers published their works on Haitang Literature City, a Taiwan-hosted platform that is popular for BL and erotic stories. According to a report by the BBC, China is cracking down on writers for breaking the country’s pornography law for “producing and distributing obscene material”. The law targets LGBTQ+ erotica by zeroing in on “explicit descriptions of gay sex or other sexual perversions.”
Authors of heterosexual erotica have been sentenced to jail in China, but heterosexual sexual content is reportedly given more leeway than its gay counterpart. A lawyer told BBC that many of the approximately 30 writers are awaiting trial or out on bail, but others are still in custody. If convicted, writers who earned money from publishing these prohibited works could be sentenced to more than 10 years in prison.
