Why Chinese women are being arrested for writing gay erotic fiction
These women are accused of breaking China's pornography laws by 'producing and distributing obscene material'. Under the law, authors who profit from such content could face prison terms of more than 10 years. Gay content is more likely to be censored than heterosexual erotica in China.
The writers shared their work on Haitang Literature City, a Taiwan-based platform popular for danmei fiction. The site hosts stories that explore romantic or sexual relationships between male characters, often in fantasy, sci-fi or historical settings.
Many arrests were reportedly led by police in Lanzhou, northwest China. Some writers from other regions were called in for questioning, raising concerns about police overreach. Writers say they were tracked down based on online activity and sales, and some were forced to travel long distances for questioning at their own cost.
Writers have described fear, shame and confusion. One said, 'Every word I once wrote came back to haunt me.' Another wrote: 'I earned my money word by word, but once it went wrong, people acted like I never worked for it.' Many have since deleted their posts, fearing further action.
Danmei is written mainly by women and read mostly by female audiences. Though the stories centre on male characters, the genre is often used as a safe space to explore female desire and challenge traditional gender roles. But critics in China say such content is inappropriate, especially for younger readers.
#svsss
빙추 pic.twitter.com/HwotMuQm9E
— 재효 (@owopoqo) June 29, 2025
The crackdown highlights growing internet censorship under President Xi Jinping's push for 'traditional family values'. Social media posts supporting the writers or discussing legal rights have been deleted. Some experts believe the government sees danmei as encouraging women to turn away from marriage and motherhood.
Writers, lawyers and scholars have voiced concern. Dr Liang Ge from University College London told the BBC that danmei allows women to 'detach from gendered realities' and find creative freedom. Lawyers have offered free advice to those arrested, and some are calling the crackdown excessive.
It's unclear how many more will be charged. Some writers say they will stop, others are determined to continue. As one author wrote, 'If I could go back, I'd still choose to write. I just hope the law sees the girl behind the words.'
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