Page 12 - 174 Varsity ebook
P. 12

10 /                                                                                                                                                                                                                    / 11
        10 /
                                                                                                                                                                                                                               / 11

                                                                                                                                 ut of anger and fear, gay erot-        I think the penalties are certainly
                                                                                                                                 ica fiction writer who pub-
                                                                                                                         Olishes under the pen name Ni           overwhelming and the laws should be
                                                                                                                          Xiaoyu has deleted all her work after
                                                                                                                          learning  more  than  50  other  writers                      reviewed.
                                                                                                                          who used to post their stories on Hai-
                                                                                                                          tang, a fiction website, have been ar-  It is ridiculous to discuss laws and pen-
                                                                                                                          rested.                                 alties when there is no rating system

                                                                                                                             “I’m very furious about the arrest. I   about literary work in mainland China
                                                                                                                          don’t think writing gay erotica fiction
                                                                                                                          should be outlawed. Our work does
                                                                                                                          not do any harm to anybody,” Ni says.  experience writing gay fiction, says.  name Yuan Shang Bai Yun Jian. She
                                                                                                                                                                                                 was sentenced to four years and six
                                                                                                                                                                “Since the censorship in Mainland  months’ imprisonment with confisca-
                                                                                                                             “I won’t stop writing because I’m a   China is getting  stricter and stricter  tion of her personal property of RMB
                                                                                                                          freelancer, and I’m happy to continue   in recent years, Chinese gay erotica  ¥1,850,000 (US $254,400) and a fine
                                                                                                                          writing stories. Those who make a liv-
                                                                                                                          ing by writing have to think carefully   writers tend to choose Haitang Cul-  of RMB ¥1,850,000 (US $254,400).
                                                                                                                          about what to write, how to write, and   ture as an enclave to avoid content   “I think the penalties are certainly
                                                                                                                                                             censorship, for this website is based in
                                                                                                                          where to write. Fear will limit their   Taiwan where regulations on gay erot-  overwhelming and the laws should be
                                                                                                                          freedom to create,” the writer adds. 
                                                                                                                                                             ica fictions are relatively lenient,” she  reviewed. It is ridiculous to discuss
                                                                                                                                                             adds.                               laws and penalties when there is no
                                                                                                                             Founded in 2015, Haitang Culture
                                                                                                                                                                                                 rating system about literary work in
                                                                                                                          is  an online fiction website affiliated   Under Chinese law, writers who  mainland China,” Ni adds.
                                                                                                                          with Longma Culture Limited Com-   make more than RMB ¥250,000 (US
                                                                                                                          pany in Taiwan. It features gay erotica                                   In October 2024, a woman who
                                                                                                                          and other fiction which are only ac-  $34,500) from selling erotic materials
                                                                                                                          cessible for internet users who are 18   can face a maximum sentence of life  was believed to be Yuan’s sister posted
                                                                                                                          or above.                          imprisonment, although in practice  a message on Weibo, said her sister
                                                                                                                                                             they can get shorter prison terms if  who has been posting stories for al-
                                                                                                                                                             they settle the penalty.            most a decade under the pen name
                                                                                                                             “I’m worried about other fiction                                    Yunjian, has gone missing since mid-
                                                                                                                          websites  such  as  Weibo  and  Lofter
                                                                                                                          that are subject to the authorities’ cen-  One of the arrested is a top writ-  June 2024 and appealed to readers for
                                                                                                                          sorship,” the writer, with ten years of   er  who  publishes  under  the  pen  donations to settle the penalty.


        Gay Erotica Writers





        Facing Jail Time






        The detention of more than 50 writers of gay erotica in mainland China has led to
        heated debate.


        By Della Qing                                                                                                              The hot list of top 15 articles highly recommended by readers on fiction website
                                                                                                                                                      Haitang. All of them are gay erotica fictions.
   7   8   9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17