this post was submitted on 30 Jun 2025
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"I've been warned not to talk about it," the woman wrote, before revealing snippets of the day she says she was arrested for publishing gay erotica.

"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."

The handle, Pingping Anan Yongfu, is among at least 8 in recent months which have shared accounts on Chinese social media platform Weibo of being arrested for publishing gay erotic fiction. As authors recounted their experiences, dozens of lawyers offered pro bono help.

At least 30 writers, nearly all of them women in their 20s, have been arrested across the country since February, a lawyer defending one told the BBC. Many are out on bail or awaiting trial, but some are still in custody. Another lawyer told the BBC that many more contributors were summoned for questioning.

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 17 minutes ago

You know this is bad when even Hexbear isn't defending it. https://hexbear.net/post/5403841

LGBT rights are human rights, everywhere.

[–] [email protected] 26 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

Yea... porn in illegal in China, erotic stories is just "word-porn" basically, this is nothing new.

This is what conservatism does. Same in China, same in the Deep South of the US (the only reason why porn is still legal-ish in the south is because of the first amendment, but the constitution is being eroded so that might not last long)

Conservatism is a disease that many countries still have. Take a look at this map:

Porn being legal is mostly only a thing in the "western world".

Even if China has a liberal democracy like in the west, people would still elect conservatives. See democratic countries like: India, South Korea, Ukraine, Phillippines, Malaysia, they all made porn illegal despite being democratic.

I'm cisgender and probably straight (or asexual not sure tbh), but if I was trans or gay, my parents would've disowned me for being "mentally ill" and gave me zero inheritance. I mean, even currently with depression, my parents are already thinking about leaving me out of the will for being a "useless eater", imagine if I was LGBT. For context, parents are from Mainland, PRC, currently we're in the US, they are conservstives that just thinks everyone who's is depressed is either "faking it" or crazy psychopaths and/or "useless eaters". I hate my life.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 25 minutes ago (1 children)

What "broad restrictions" is NZ and Australia under?

[–] [email protected] 8 points 7 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours ago)

The background of the matter transcends conflicts over gender concepts. In recent years, many local governments have been unable to cover their expenses, resulting in a phenomenon known as "distant sea fishing" (远洋捕捞), which refers to "profit-driven law enforcement," aimed at plundering money from other places. These female writers are just a tiny fraction of the victims. There are also well-known entrepreneurs who have lost their lives due to such extortion.

[–] [email protected] 77 points 16 hours ago (13 children)

But .ml communities promise meChina has mote free speech than the West! How is this possible?

/s

[–] [email protected] 27 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago)

Clearly, the BBC made it all up. Because it contradicts them. /s

Literally the newest top-level comment right now.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 11 hours ago (6 children)

You don’t even have to be charged with anything before ICE grabs you off the street at throws you in a van in the US…

[–] [email protected] 1 points 47 minutes ago

Very typical .ml whataboutism. Both things can be bad at the same time. This is not a null sum game.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

Can you connect these dots for me?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 hour ago
[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

And I assume you wish the US to keep doing that because China is doing that and it's clearly working?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago) (2 children)

I’m simply responding to the commenter’s comparison to “the west”. Like, if that’s the game we’re gonna play I think I just scored a point. Both situations are obviously terrible duh

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

Very USA-Centric of you lol

USA =/= "The West"

[–] [email protected] 3 points 46 minutes ago

Also useless whataboutism. The sign of someone who has no arguments left to defend their beliefs.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 7 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours ago)

Yeah, unfortunately the US is becoming more and more like China in this regard.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago)

Yes it's fucking horrible, I have the misfortune of living in the US but the same goes for China, North Korea, Russia and I could go on.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 11 hours ago

Which is true for China as well

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[–] [email protected] 64 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

These authors are being accused of breaking China's pornography law for "producing and distributing obscene material". Writers who earn a profit could be jailed for more than 10 years.

The law targets "explicit descriptions of gay sex or other sexual perversions".

Jesus I thought there might have been some bullshit pretense, but apparently it's just straight-up illegal there.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 11 hours ago

China is not the West, haha. There's a reason we're suspicious of them.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 hours ago

Yeah well you support a genocide, so you are the last to point fingers at China and anyone else.

[–] [email protected] 120 points 20 hours ago (4 children)

This will eventually be the U.S. if we don’t stop the erosion. Right now they are going after trans, brown people. They will turn attention after to others.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 17 minutes ago

Which is funny because I think most conservative and religious politicians are actually into gay sex.

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[–] [email protected] 135 points 21 hours ago (8 children)

Ah yes, this is the democracy some people talk about

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

Democracies can also ban porn. See: South Korea, India, Ukraine, Malaysia, Singapore, Mongolia, etc...

Its a conservatism issue.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 hours ago

You can add about a third of the USA at this post as well.

[–] [email protected] 53 points 20 hours ago

Authoritarians gonna authoritarian regardless of economic model.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 hours ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 1 points 42 minutes ago

Sticking your fingers in your ears while screaming like a baby does not make reality disappear.

[–] [email protected] 66 points 19 hours ago (2 children)

"The Chinese government wants to promote traditional family values and liking danmei novels is seen as a factor in making women less willing to have children," Dr Ge explains.

[–] [email protected] 39 points 15 hours ago (2 children)

Man, it's wild to see them go from one-child to this in a single generation.

[–] [email protected] 35 points 15 hours ago

Overcorrection in policy is not uncommon in authoritarian regimes. I'd imagine because policy carries the threat of imprisonment, not just guidance.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 15 hours ago

The machine needs meat

[–] [email protected] 21 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

I generally want to have sex with my husband after reading erotica. You know, because it’s arousing. How did this not occur to them?

[–] [email protected] 29 points 15 hours ago

How many straight men do you know who have a sound grasp on women’s sexuality?

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